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An EOS or Earth remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth
observation (EO) from orbit.
It includes spy satellites and similar ones intended for non-military uses such as
environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and others.
The most common type are Earth-imaging satellites that take satellite images,
analogous to aerial photographs.
Some EOS may perform remote sensing without forming pictures, such as in GNSS radio
occultation.
What is EOS-04 all about?

The EOS-04 is fourth in a series of earth observation satellites that are being
launched under a new generic name.
It is designed to provide high-quality images for applications such as agriculture,
forestry and plantations, flood mapping, soil moisture and hydrology.
It will complement the data from Resourcesat, Cartosat and RISAT-2B series of
satellites that are already in orbit.
Why such different nomenclature?

Two years ago, ISRO had moved to a new naming system for its earth observation
satellites which till then had been named thematically, according to the purpose
they were meant for.
The Cartosat series of satellites were meant to provide data for land topography
and mapping, while the Oceansat satellites were meant for observations over sea.
Some INSAT-series, Resourcesat series, GISAT, Scatsat, and a few other earth
observation satellites were named differently for the specific jobs they were
assigned to do, or the different instruments that they.
All these would now become part of the new EOS series of satellites.
What other satellites are being launched?

Besides EOS-04, two other small satellites —INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD — will ride on
the heaviest version of the PSLV rocket in the early hours from the Sriharikota
launch range.
The other co-passenger, INS-2TD, is a technology demonstrator for the first India-
Bhutan joint satellite that is scheduled to be launched next month.
The two countries had signed a space agreement last year, and its first outcome
would be the launch of Bhutan-Sat, or INS-2B, on a PSLV rocket.
How many satellites does India have in space?

India currently has 53 operational satellites, of which 21 are earth observation

ones and another 21 are communication-based.
EOS-4 launch would be the 54th flight of the PSLV rocket, and the 23rd of its most
powerful XL-version that has six strap-on boosters.

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Chandrayaan-3 set for launch in August

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
February 4, 2022
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayaan-3

Mains level : Not Much

ISRO plans to execute the Chandrayaan-3 mission in August this year.

What is Chandrayaan-3 Mission?

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed

to land a rover on the lunar South Pole.
Chandrayaan-2: A quick recap

Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

scientific instruments to study the moon.
The Orbiter would watch the moon from a 100-km orbit, while the Lander and Rover
modules were to be separated to make a soft landing on the moon’s surface.
ISRO had named the Lander module as Vikram, after Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of
India’s space programme, and the Rover module as Pragyaan, meaning wisdom.
Utility of the Orbiter

The Orbiter part of the mission has been functioning normally. It is carrying eight
instruments.
Each of these instruments has produced a handsome amount of data that sheds new
light on the moon and offers insights that could be used in further exploration.
Inception of Chandrayaan 3
The subsequent failure of the Vikram lander led to the pursuit of another mission
to demonstrate the landing capabilities needed for the Lunar Polar Exploration
Mission proposed in partnership with Japan for 2024.
Its design

The lander for Chandrayaan-3 will have only four throttle-able engines.
Unlike Vikram on Chandrayaan-2 which had five 800N engines with a fifth one being
centrally mounted with a fixed thrust.
Additionally, the Chandrayaan-3 lander will be equipped with a Laser Doppler
Velocimeter (LDV).
Back2Basics: Chandrayaan-1 Mission

The Chandrayaan-1 mission was launched in October 2008 was ISRO’s first exploratory
mission to the moon, in fact to any heavenly body in space.
The mission was designed to just orbit around the moon and make observations with
the help of the instruments onboard.
The closest that Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft came to the moon was in an orbit 100 km
from its surface.

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Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
January 28, 2022
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : SSLV, PSLV, GSLV

Mains level : Commercial space activities in India

The new chairman of the ISRO Dr S Somanath has indicated inauguration of indigenous
new launch rockets, called the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

What is SSLV?

The SSLV is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by the ISRO with payload
capacity to deliver:
600 kg to Low Earth Orbit (500 km) or
300 kg to Sun-synchronous Orbit (500 km)
It would help launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple
orbital drop-offs.
In future a dedicated launch pad in Sriharikota called Small Satellite Launch
Complex (SSLC) will be set up.
A new spaceport, under development, near Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu will
handle SSLV launches when complete.
After entering the operational phase, the vehicle’s production and launch
operations will be done by a consortium of Indian firms along with NewSpace India
Limited (NSIL).
Vehicle details

(A) Dimensions
Height: 34 meters
Diameter: 2 meters
Mass: 120 tonnes
(B) Propulsion

It will be a four stage launching vehicle.

The first three stages will use Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based
solid propellant, with a fourth terminal stage being a Velocity-Trimming Module
(VTM).
SSLV vs. PSLV: A comparison

The SSLV was developed with the aim of launching small satellites commercially at
drastically reduced price and higher launch rate as compared to Polar SLV (PSLV).
The projected high launch rate relies on largely autonomous launch operation and on
overall simple logistics.
To compare, a PSLV launch involves 600 officials while SSLV launch operations would
be managed by a small team of about six people.
The launch readiness period of the SSLV is expected to be less than a week instead
of months.
The SSLV can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the
tried and tested PSLV can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.
The entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around
Rs 30 crore for SSLV.
Significance of SSLV

SSLV is perfectly suited for launching multiple microsatellites at a time and

supports multiple orbital drop-offs.
The development and manufacture of the SSLV are expected to create greater synergy
between the space sector and private Indian industries – a key aim of the space
ministry.
Back2Basics:

Gaganyaan and other new Missions in 2022

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
January 4, 2022
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Gaganyaan Mission

Mains level : Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP)

After a rather muted 2021 in terms of satellite launches, Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) is gearing up for a number of missions in 2022 including the
launch of the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan.

Gaganyaan Mission

Gaganyaan is crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of

the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP).
The IHSP was initiated in 2007 by ISRO to develop the technology needed to launch
crewed orbital spacecraft into low Earth orbit.
The first uncrewed flight, named Gaganyaan 1, is scheduled to launch no earlier
than June 2022 on a GSLV Mark III rocket.
ISRO had been working on related technologies and it performed a Crew Module
Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment and a Pad Abort Test for the mission.
If completed in meantime, India will become the fourth nation to conduct
independent human spaceflight after the Russia, US and China.
Details of the project

The spacecraft is being designed to carry three people, and a planned upgraded
version will be equipped with rendezvous and docking capability.
In its maiden crewed mission, this capsule will orbit the Earth at 400 km altitude
for up to seven days with a two or three-person crew on board.
This Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured crew module had its first un-
crewed experimental flight in 2014.
DRDO will provide support for critical human-centric systems and technologies like
space-grade food, crew healthcare, radiation measurement and protection, parachutes
for the safe recovery of the crew module and fire suppression system.
Other missions this year

Earth Observation Satellites: EOS-4 and EOS-6

Flights for Crew Escape System of Gaganyaan
Chandrayaan-03
Aditya Ll
XpoSat
New projects

Venus mission
DISHA –a twin aeronomy satellite mission
TRISHNA, an ISRO-CNES [Centre national d’études spatiales] mission

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Dhawan-1: India’s first privately developed Cryogenic Rocket

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
December 6, 2021
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Dhawan-1

Mains level : Space startups in India

Skyroot Aerospace successfully tested Dhawan-1 last month. It became the country’s
first privately developed fully cryogenic rocket engine.

Dhawan-1

The indigenous engine was developed using 3D printing with a superalloy.

It runs on two high-performance rocket propellants — liquid natural gas (LNG) and
liquid oxygen (LoX).
This was after successfully designing and developing the solid propulsion rocket
engine, the first private firm in the country to do so.
Other projects by Skyroot
Skyroot is working simultaneously on different stages of both solid propulsion and
liquid propulsion engines.
It is named after eminent scientists, like Kalam (Abdul Kalam) series for the
former and Dhawan (Satish Dhawan).
The launch vehicles are named after Vikram Sarabhai.

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Katol L6 Chondrite Meteorite

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
November 1, 2021
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Katol L6, Interior of Earth

Mains level : Hypothesis of planetary system formation

Last month, researchers from the Geological Survey of India collected some
meteorite fragments near the town of Katol in Nagpur in 2012. Studying this, IIT
Kgp researchers have unravelled the composition expected to be present in the
Earth’s lower mantle which is at about 660 km deep.

Katol L6

Initial studies revealed that the host rock was mainly composed of olivine, an
olive-green mineral.
Olivine is the most abundant phase in our Earth’s upper mantle.
Our Earth is composed of different layers including the outer crust, followed by
the mantle and then the inner core.
Key findings: Presence of Bridgmanite

The study reported for the first time, presence of veins of the mineral
bridgmanite, which is the most abundant mineral in the interior of the Earth,
within the Katol L6 Chondrite meteorite.
Bridgmanite consists of magnesium, iron, calcium aluminium oxide and has a
perovskite structure. It is the most volumetrically abundant mineral of the Earth’s
interior.
It is present in the lower mantle (from 660 to 2700 km), and it is important to
understand its formation mechanism to better comprehend the origin and evolution of
planetary interiors.
What is the hypothesis of moon-formation?

The discovery of Bridgmanite in Katol L6 adds evidence to the Moon-forming giant

impact hypothesis.

The Moon-forming giant impact hypothesis occurred nearly 4.5 billion years ago.
The Earth collided with a planet the size of Mars named Thela.
The force of this impact was so huge as to melt the Earth down from the surface to
a depth of 750 km to 1,100 km.
The hypothesis goes that this caused the Earth to be bathed in a magma ocean, and
the ejecta from the collision led to the formation of the Moon.
Note: Earth was an ocean of magma in the past. The heavier iron and nickel went to
the core while the lighter silicates stayed in the mantle.
Future prospect of the study

This finding could help investigations of high-pressure phase transformation

mechanisms in the deep Earth.
Back2Basics: Interior of Earth

Earths Structure
The earth is made up of three different layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.

The crust

This is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and
granite. There are two types of crust; oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is
denser and thinner and mainly composed of basalt. Continental crust is less dense,
thicker, and mainly composed of granite.

The mantle

The mantle lies below the crust and is up to 2900 km thick. It consists of hot,
dense, iron and magnesium-rich solid rock. The crust and the upper part of the
mantle make up the lithosphere, which is broken into plates, both large and small.

The core

The core is the centre of the earth and is made up of two parts: the liquid outer
core and solid inner core. The outer core is made of nickel, iron and molten rock.
Temperatures here can reach up to 50,000 C.

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[pib] Indian Space Association

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy,
Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Post date
October 12, 2021
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Indian Space Association (ISpA)

Mains level : Commercial space exploration in India

The PM has launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body
consisting of various stakeholders of the Indian space domain.

Indian Space Association (ISpA)

The ISpA is a premier industry association of space and satellite companies, which
aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian space industry.
It will be headed by retired Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, who will be its Director
General.
It will target to undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the
Indian space domain. It will engage with the government and all its agencies.
Why is the formation of ISpA significant?

Million-dollar industry: Governments across the world have poured millions of

dollars to push the envelope in term of exploring the edges of the space.
Collaborated research: With time, governments and government agencies collaborated
to explore newer planets and galaxies in search of life forms that exist outside
Earth.
Private players involvement: In the recent past, private sector companies such as
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin
have taken the lead in spaceflight.
Easing workload on ISRO: Though India too has made significant strides in space
exploration over time, state-run ISRO has been at the centre and front of this
progress.
What does ISpA aim to achieve?

Supplementing space research: One of the main goals of the organisation is to

supplement the government’s efforts towards making India a global leader in
commercial space-based excursions.
Commercial space exploration: ISpA said it would engage with stakeholders across
the ecosystem for the formulation of an enabling policy framework which fulfills
the government vision of leading commercial space exploration.
Establishing global linkages: ISpA will also work towards building global linkages
for the Indian space industry to bring in critical technology and investments into
the country to create more high skill jobs.
Who are the stakeholders in this organisation? How will they contribute?

ISpA will be represented by leading domestic and global corporations that have
advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.
It has taken off with several Indian and international companies betting on it as
the next frontier to provide high-speed and affordable Internet connectivity to
inaccessible areas as well.
This includes SpaceX’s StarLink, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb, Amazon’s Project
Kuiper, US satellite maker Hughes Communications, etc.
OneWeb, for example, is building its initial constellation of 648 low-earth orbit
satellites and has already put 322 satellites into orbit.
Why is satellite-based Internet important in India?

The expansion of the Internet in India is crucial to the Modi government’s dream of
a digital India where a majority of government services are delivered directly to
the customer.
The government aims to connect all villages and gram panchayats with high-speed
Internet over the next 1000 days through BharatNet.
However, internet connectivity in hilly areas and far-flung places of Northeast
India are still a challenge.
To overcome this, industry experts suggest that satellite Internet will be
essential for broadband inclusion in remote areas and sparsely populated locations
where terrestrial networks have not reached.
Satellite communications remain limited to use by corporates and institutions that
use it for emergency use, critical trans-continental communications and for
connecting to remote areas with no connectivity.

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Indian meteorite helps study Earth’s formation

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
October 11, 2021
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Olivine, Bridgmanite

Mains level : Formation of Earth

The researchers from the Geological Survey of India collected about 30 meteorite
fragments with the largest weighing around a kilogram near the town of Katol in
Nagpur in 2012.

Significance of meteor study

Now, by studying the composition of these meteorite fragments, researchers have

unraveled the composition expected to be present in the Earth’s lower mantle which
is at about 660 km deep.
Studying the meteorite could also tell us more about how our Earth evolved from
being a magma ocean to a rocky planet.
Key component of the Meteor: Olivine

The researchers took a small sample of the meteorite and examined it using special
microscopy techniques.
The mineralogy was determined using a laser micro-Raman spectrometer.
These techniques helped the team identify, characterise the crystal structure of
the meteorite and determine its chemical composition and texture.
What does the new study show?

The international team of scientists examined a section of this highly-shocked

meteorite. It resembles to the first natural occurrence of a mineral called
bridgmanite.
The mineral was named in 2014 after Prof. Percy W. Bridgman, recipient of the 1946
Nobel Prize in Physics.
Various computational and experimental studies have shown that about 80% of the
Earth’s lower mantle is made up of bridgmanite.
By studying this meteorite sample, scientists can decode how bridgmanite
crystallized during the final stages of our Earth’s formation.
Bridgmanite: On Earth vs. on Meteorite

Katol meteorite is a unique sample and it is a significant discovery.

The bridgmanite in the meteorite was found to be formed at pressures of about 23 to
25 gigapascals generated by the shock event.
The high temperature and pressure in our Earth’s interior have changed over
billions of years causing crystallisation, melting, remelting of the different
minerals before they reached their current state.
It is important to study these individual minerals to get a thorough idea of how
and when the Earth’s layers formed.
How does it help understand evolution of Earth?

The inner planets or terrestrial planets or rocky planets Mercury, Venus, Earth,
and Mars are formed by accretion or by rocky pieces coming together.
They were formed as a planet by increased pressure and high temperature caused by
radioactive elements and gravitational forces.
Our Earth was an ocean of magma before the elements crystallised and stabilised and
the different layers such as core, mantle were formed.
The heavier elements like iron went to the core while the lighter silicates stayed
in the mantle.
By using the meteorite as an analog for Earth, we can unearth more details about
the formation.
Answer this question from our AWE initiative:

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IAO Hanle: A promising astronomical observatory

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
October 4, 2021
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : IAO Hanle

Mains level : NA

A new study shows that the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) located in Hanle
is one of the emerging sites for infrared and optical astronomy studies.

About IAO Hanle

The IAO, located in Hanle at Mount Saraswati near Leh in Ladakh, has one of the
world’s highest located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.
It was established in 2001 and is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics,
Bangalore.
It is currently the ninth highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an
elevation of 4,500 meters.
Note: University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) located in the Atacama desert
of Chile is the highest at an elevation of 5,640 m.
Major telescopes at Hanle include:

Himalayan Chandra Telescope (An optical-infrared telescope named after India-born

Nobel laureate Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar)
GROWTH-India Telescope (A robotic optical telescope)
High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope
Distinct factors of IAO Hanle
IAO Hanle offers a clear view of space among all observatories globally.
This is due to its advantages of more clear nights, minimal light pollution,
background aerosol concentration, extremely dry atmospheric condition and
uninterrupted monsoon.
Hanle site is as dry as Atacama Desert in Chile and much drier than Devasthal and
has around 270 clear nights in a year and is also one of the emerging sites for
infrared and submillimetre optical astronomy.
This is because water vapor absorbs electromagnetic signals and reduces their
strength.

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Tasks accomplished by the Chandrayaan-2

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 10, 2021
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayaan-3 Mission

Mains level : Accomplishments of India's Lunar Mission

The failure of Chandrayaan-2, India’s second mission to the Moon, to make a soft
landing on the lunar surface had led to much disappointment. But that did not mean
the entire mission had been wasted.

Chandrayaan-2: A quick recap

Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

(a) Water

The presence of water on the Moon had already been confirmed by Chandrayaan-1,
India’s first mission to the Moon that flew in 2008.
Using far more sensitive instruments, the Imaging Infra-Red Spectrometer (IIRS)
onboard Chandrayaan-2 has been able to distinguish between hydroxyl and water
molecules and found unique signatures of both.
This is the most precise information about the presence of H2O molecules on the
Moon to date.
Previously, water was known to be present mainly in the polar regions of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2 has now found signatures of water at all latitudes, although its
abundance varies from place to place.
(b) Minor elements

The Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) measures the Moon’s X-ray spectrum
to examine the presence of major elements such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon,
calcium, titanium, iron, etc.
This instrument has detected the minor elements chromium and manganese for the
first time through remote sensing, thanks to a better detector.
The finding can lay the path for understanding magmatic evolution on the Moon and
deeper insights into the nebular conditions as well as planetary differentiation.
CLASS has mapped nearly 95% of the lunar surface in X-rays for the first time.
Sodium, also a minor element on the Moon surface, was detected without any
ambiguity for the first time.
(c) Study of Sun

One of the payloads, called Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM), besides studying the Moon
through the radiation coming in from the Sun, has collected information about solar
flares.
XSM has observed a large number of microflares outside the active region for the
first time.
This has great implications on the understanding of the mechanism behind the
heating of the solar corona, which has been an open problem for many decades.
Utility of this Data

While the Orbiter payloads build upon existing knowledge of the Moon in terms of
its surface, sub-surface and exosphere, it also paves the path for future Moon
missions.
Four aspects — mineralogical and volatile mapping of the lunar surface, surface and
subsurface properties and processes involved, quantifying water in its various
forms across the Moon surface, and maps of elements present on the moon — will be
key for future scope of work.
A key outcome from Chandrayaan-2 has been the exploration of the permanently
shadowed regions as well as craters and boulders underneath the regolith, the loose
deposit comprising the top surface extending up to 3-4m in depth.
This is expected to help scientists to zero in on future landing and drilling
sites, including for human missions.
Who is going to use it?

Some key future Moon missions that hope to make use of such data include the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)-ISRO collaboration Lunar Polar Exploration
(LUPEX) mission scheduled for launch in 2023/2024.
Its aim is to obtain knowledge of lunar water resources and to explore the
suitability of the lunar polar region for setting up a lunar base.
NASA’s Artemis missions plan to enable human landing on the Moon beginning 2024 and
target sustainable lunar exploration by 2028.
The Chinese Lunar Exploration Programme too plans to establish a prototype of the
International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) at the lunar south pole and build a
platform supporting large-scale scientific exploration.
What was missed because of the crash-landing?

The most obvious miss has been the opportunity to demonstrate the technology to
make a soft landing in outer space.
The lander Vikram and rover Pragyaan were carrying instruments to carry out
observations on the surface.
These were supposed to pick up additional information about the terrain, and
composition, and mineralogy.
While the instruments onboard the Orbiter is making “global” observations, those on
the lander and rover would have provided much more local information.
The two diverse sets of data could have helped prepare a more composite picture of
the Moon.
Future with the Chandrayaan-3

ISRO scientists maintain that the accident was caused by a relatively small error
that has been identified and corrected.
But, to demonstrate this technology all over again, ISRO would have to send a fresh
mission, Chandrayaan-3, planned for next year.
It is expected to have only a lander and rover, and no Orbiter.
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[pib] Formation of Blue Straggler

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Conservation, Environmental Pollution &
Degradation, Eia
Post date
September 3, 2021
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Blue Stragglers

Mains level : Not Much

Carrying out the first-ever comprehensive analysis of blue stragglers, Indian

researchers found that half of the blue stragglers in their sample are formed
through mass transfer from a close binary companion star.

What are Blue Stragglers?

A blue straggler is a main-sequence star in an open or globular cluster that is

more luminous and bluer than stars at the main sequence turnoff point for the
cluster.
The most likely explanation is that blue stragglers are the result of stars that
come too close to another star or similar mass object and collide.
The newly-formed star has thus a higher mass and occupies a position on the HR
diagram which would be populated by genuinely young stars.
One-third of them are likely formed through collisions of 2 stars, and the
remaining are formed through interactions of more than 2 stars.
How are they formed?

A bunch of stars born at the same time from the same cloud form a star cluster.
As time passes, each star evolves differently depending on its mass.
The most massive and bright stars evolve and move off the main sequence creating a
bend in their track, known as the turnoff.
Stars above this bend or brighter and hotter stars are not expected in a cluster,
as they leave the main sequence to become red giants.
But in 1953, Allan Sandage found that some stars seem to be hotter than the turnoff
of the parent cluster.
Behind the nomenclature

Initially, these blue stars still straggling above the turnoff were not part of
these clusters.
However, later studies confirmed that these stars are indeed cluster members, and
they were termed “Blue Stragglers”.
The only probable way these stars can still be present in these clusters is if they
have somehow acquired extra mass along the way while on the main sequence.
Confirming the mechanisms of the mass gain required a study using a large sample of
blue-straggler stars and estimates of the mass they have gained.
What have Indian researchers found?

Research showed that these stars are primarily present in the older and massive
star clusters. And due to their large mass, they are segregated towards the centre
of the clusters.
The researchers compared the mass of the blue stragglers to the mass of the turnoff
stars (which are the most massive ‘normal’ stars in the cluster) and predicted the
formation mechanisms.
The study will help improve understanding of these stellar systems to uncover
exciting results in studies of large stellar populations, including galaxies.
Following these findings, the researchers are conducting detailed analyses of
individual blue stragglers in the catalog to obtain their stellar properties.
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 2, 2021
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NASA-ISRO SAR

Mains level : Not Much

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, aimed at making global

measurement of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging, is proposed to be
launched in early 2023, informed Earth Sciences Minister.

Note the key features of the Mission. Every statement has a unique information.
NASA-ISRO SAR

NISAR is a joint collaboration for a dual-frequency L and S-band SAR for earth
observation.
NASA and Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO signed a partnership on September 30, 2014,
to collaborate on and launch NISAR.
The mission is targeted to launch in early 2022 from ISRO’s Sriharikota spaceport
in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, about 100km north of Chennai.
It is capable of producing extremely high-resolution images for a joint earth
observation satellite mission with NASA.
It will be the first satellite mission to use two different radar frequencies (L-
band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet’s surface less than a centimeter
across.
Objectives of the NISAR

NISAR will observe Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces globally with 12-day
regularity on ascending and descending passes, sampling Earth on average every six
days for a baseline three-year mission.
It will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses,
providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea-level rise, and
groundwater, and will support a host of other applications.
It would also provide data on natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis,
volcanoes, and landslides.
What are L and S Bands?

L band waves are used for GPS units because they are able to penetrate clouds, fog,
rain, storms, and vegetation.
The S-band is used by airport surveillance radar for air traffic control, weather
radar, surface ship radar, and some communications satellites, especially those
used by NASA to communicate with the Space Shuttle and the International Space
Station.
NISAR uses a sophisticated information-processing technique known as SAR to produce
extremely high-resolution images.
Radar penetrates clouds and darkness, enabling NISAR to collect data day and night
in any weather.
What is collaboration?

NASA is providing the mission’s L-band SAR, a high-rate communication subsystem for
science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem.
ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, the launch vehicle, and
associated launch services for the mission, whose goal is to make global
measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes using advanced
radar imaging.
Stellar Mid-life Crisis: What ails the middle-aged Sun?

Prelims level : Stellar Middle Age

Mains level : Not Much

Stars like our Sun can go through a mid-life crisis, according to new research
carried out by scientists from IISER Kolkata.

Stellar Middle Age

At about 4.6 billion years of age, the sun is middle-aged, that is, it will
continue to live for roughly the same period.
There are accurate methods for estimating the age of the Sun, such as by using
radioactive dating of very old meteorites that have fallen on the Earth.
However, for more distant stars which are similar in mass and age to the Sun, such
methods are not possible.
One of the methods used is called gyrochronology.
There is a relationship between rotation rate and age, that is the rotation rate of
a star slows down with age.
How does it occur?

When the stellar wind escapes from the star, it carries away with it a part of the
angular momentum of the star, which results in its slowing down.
The stellar wind has two drivers: one is the high temperature of the outer
atmosphere of stars – the corona – which results in an outward expansion and hence
plasma winds that emanate out.
The other is the magnetic field.
The magnetic field actually heats the corona and so when magnetic activity is
strong the winds are strong and since wind carries away the internal (rotational)
angular momentum of the star, it slows down its rotation.
This is called magnetic braking.
As the star ages, due to this mechanism, its rotation slows down and this
relationship is used in gyrochronology to estimate the age of the star.
Impact

This can lead to dramatic changes in their activity and rotation rates.
The study also provides an explanation for the breakdown of the long-established
relation between rotation rate and age in middle-aged sunlike stars.
However, there is a breakdown of the gyrochronology relationship, because, after
midlife, a star’s rate of spin does not slow down with age as fast as it was
slowing down earlier.
Another intriguing fact is that the Sun’s activity level has been observed to be
much lower than other stars of similar age.
[pib] Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) of Sun

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July 31, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Near-Surface Shear Layer

Mains level : NA

Indian astronomers have found a theoretical explanation for the existence of the
Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) of the Sun for the first time.

What is a Near-Surface Shear Layer?

It was long known the Sun’s equator spins faster than the poles.
However, a peek into the internal rotation of the Sun using sound waves revealed
the existence of an intriguing layer where the rotation profile of the Sun changes
sharply.
The layer is called as a near-surface shear layer (NSSL), and it exists very close
to the solar surface, where there is an outward decrease in angular velocity.
What have researchers found?

They have used an equation called the thermal wind balance equation to explain how
the slight difference in temperature between solar poles and equator, called
thermal wind term.
It is balanced by the centrifugal force appearing due to solar differential
rotation.
They have noted that if this condition is true near the solar surface, it can
explain the existence of NSSL, which is inferred in helioseismology (technique of
using sound waves to peek inside the Sun) based observation.
Why study NSSL?
Understanding NSSL is crucial for the study of several solar phenomena like sunspot
formation, solar cycle, and it will also help in understanding such phenomena in
other stars.
Geo-imaging satellite EOS-03

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Post date
July 30, 2021
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : EOS-03, SSLV

Mains level : Not Much

Geo-imaging satellite for earth observation EOS-03, which would enable near real-
time monitoring of natural disasters like floods and cyclones, is scheduled for
launch in the third quarter of 2021.

EOS-03

ISRO has realized a geo-imaging satellite, “EOS-03”, for Earth Observation from
Geostationary Orbit.
EOS-03 is capable of imaging the whole country four-five times daily and would
enable near real-time monitoring of natural disasters like floods and cyclones.
In addition to natural disasters, EOS-03 would also enable monitoring of water
bodies, crops, vegetation condition, forest cover changes.
Other developments: Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

The first developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is
scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2021 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre,
Sriharikota.
The SSLV is a cost-effective, three-stage and all-solid launch vehicle with a
payload capability of 500 kg to 500 km planar orbit or 300 kg to Sun-Synchronous
Polar Orbit.
It is ideal for the on-demand, quick turn-around launch of small satellites.
The major technologies developed as part of SSLV are flexible nozzle control with
electro-mechanical actuators for all stages, miniaturized avionics, and a velocity
trimming module in the upper stage for precise satellite injection.
[pib] What are Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Explosion?

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July 1, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : GRB Explosions

Mains level : Various interstellar phenomena

The emission from the most notable Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) explosion away from 4.5
billion light-years has been traced by Indian researchers.

What are GRB Explosions?

GRBs are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant
galaxies.
They are the brightest and most energetic electromagnetic events known to occur in
the universe.
Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several hours.
After an initial flash of gamma rays, a longer-lived “afterglow” is usually emitted
at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, microwave and radio).
The intense radiation of most observed GRBs is thought to be released during a
supernova or superluminous supernova as a high-mass star implodes to form a neutron
star or a black hole.
What makes GRB special?

The explosions are both extremely energetic (a typical burst releases as much
energy in a few seconds as the Sun will in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime) and
extremely rare.
All observed GRBs have originated from outside the Milky Way galaxy, although a
related class of phenomena, soft gamma repeater flares, are associated with
magnetars within the Milky Way.
It has been hypothesized that a gamma-ray burst in the Milky Way, pointing directly
towards the Earth, could cause a mass extinction event.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

Q.Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidences for

the continued expansion of universe? (CSP 2012)
1. Detection of microwaves in space
2. Observation of red shift phenomenon in space
3. Movement of asteroids in space
4. Occurrence of supernova explosions in space
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.

[pib] 3D distribution of Molecular & Atomic Hydrogen in Galaxies

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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Read the attached story

Mains level : Formation of stars

Indian scientists have estimated the three-dimensional distribution of molecular
and atomic hydrogen in a nearby galaxy which can help lead to clues to the star
formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.

Study on Hydrogen distribution

Galaxies like the one we reside in, the Milky Way, consist of discs containing
stars, molecular and atomic hydrogen, and helium.
The molecular hydrogen gas collapses on itself in distinct pockets, forming stars,
its temperature was found to be low –close to 10 kelvin, or -263 ºC, and thickness
is about 60 to 240 light-years.
The atomic hydrogen extends both above and below the discs.
Indian scientists have estimated that molecular hydrogen extends farther from the
disc in both directions, up to about 3000 light-years.
This gaseous component is warmer than the one straddling the disc and has
comparatively lesser densities, thus escaping earlier observations.
They called it the ‘diffuse’ component of the molecular disc.
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

Q. Which one of the following sets of elements was primarily responsible for the
origin of life on the Earth?

(a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium

(b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen

(c) Oxygen, Calcium, Phosphorous

(d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium

Why does this study matter?

The molecular hydrogen gas converts to individual stars under the pull of gravity,
thus holding clues to the star formation processes and the evolution of the galaxy.
If a significant part of the gas extends beyond the thin disc of a few hundred
light-years, it may explain why astronomers also observe stars at a few thousand
light-years perpendicular to the galactic disc.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx begins journey back from asteroid

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Post date
May 11, 2021
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The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Asteroid Bennu

Mains level : Paper 3- OSIRIS-REx starts journey back to the earth

On May 11, NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification,

Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will depart asteroid Bennu, and
start its two-year-long journey back to Earth.
About OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey its

surface and collect a sample from it.
The mission was launched in 2016, it reached its target in 2018 and since then, the
spacecraft has been trying to match the velocity of the asteroid using small rocket
thrusters.
It also utilised this time to survey the surface and identify potential sites to
take samples.
In October 2020, the spacecraft briefly touched asteroid Bennu, from where it
collected samples of dust and pebbles.
Once the surface was disturbed, the spacecraft’s robotic arm captured some samples.
The spacecraft’s engineers have also confirmed that shortly after the spacecraft
made contact with the surface, it fired its thrusters and “safely backed away from
Bennu”.
About Bennu

Bennu is considered to be an ancient asteroid that has not gone through a lot of
composition-altering change through billions of years, which means that below its
surface lie chemicals and rocks from the birth of the solar system.
Around 20-40 percent of Bennu’s interior is empty space and scientists believe that
it was formed in the first 10 million years of the solar system’s creation,
implying that it is roughly 4.5 billion years old.
Bennu is a B-type asteroid, implying that it contains significant amounts of carbon
and various other minerals.
Because of its high carbon content, the asteroid reflects about four percent of the
light that hits it, which is very low when compared with a planet.
Bennu is named after an Egyptian deity.
The asteroid was discovered by a team from the NASA-funded Lincoln Near-Earth
Asteroid Research team in 1999.
[pib] What are Wolf–Rayet Stars?

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April 7, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Wolf–Rayet Stars

Mains level : Not Much

Indian astronomers have tracked a rare supernova explosion and traced it to one of
the hottest kind of stars called Wolf–Rayet stars or WR stars.

Space science-related terms these days are often focused on Gravitational waves,
Black holes etc. But basic terminologies are very important and need to be taken
care of. For example, a layman may hardly find any difference between Novae-
Supernovae, Neutron star, Nebula etc. UPSC often tries to bust you with such basic
differences.
Wolf–Rayet Stars

Wolf-Rayet stars represent a final burst of activity before a huge star begins to
die.
These stars, which are at least 20 times more massive than the Sun, “live fast and
die hard”.
Wolf-Rayets stars are divided into 3 classes based on their spectra, the WN stars
(nitrogen dominant, some carbon), WC stars (carbon dominant, no nitrogen) and WO
where oxygen is in dominant quantities.
The average temperature of a Wolf-Rayet star is greater than 25,000 Kelvin, and
they can have luminosities of up to a million times that of the Sun.
What have Indian researchers studied?

Indian astronomers have conducted the optical monitoring of one such stripped-
envelope supernova called SN 2015dj hosted in the galaxy NGC 7371 which was spotted
in 2015.
They calculated the mass of the star that collapsed to form the supernovae as well
as the geometry of its ejection.
Their findings

The scientists found that the original star was a combination of two stars – one of
them is a massive WR star and another is a star much less in mass than the Sun.
Supernovae (SNe) are highly energetic explosions in the Universe releasing an
enormous amount of energy.
Long-term monitoring of these transients opens the door to understand the nature of
the exploding star as well as the explosion properties.
It can also help enumerate the number of massive stars.
Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) Mission

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Post date
March 12, 2021
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : LUPEX Mission

Mains level : Not Much

India and Japan are working together on a joint lunar polar exploration (LUPEX)
mission that aims to send a lander and rover to the Moon’s the South Pole around
2024.

Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

Q.The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape
of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million km long, with lasers shining
between the craft.” the experiment in the question refers to?

(a) Voyager-2

(b) New horizons

(c) LISA pathfinder

(d) Evolved LISA

LUPEX Mission

The LUPEX is a robotic lunar mission concept by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
It would send a lunar rover and lander to explore the South Pole region of the Moon
in 2024.
JAXA is likely to provide the under-development H3 launch vehicle and the rover,
while ISRO would be responsible for the lander.
The mission concept has not yet been formally proposed for funding and planning.
The Lunar Polar Exploration mission would demonstrate new surface exploration
technologies related to vehicular transport and lunar night survival for
sustainable lunar exploration in Polar Regions.
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)

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March 10, 2021
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NASA-ISRO SAR

Mains level : Read the attached story

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed the development of a

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

Note the key features of the Mission. Every statement has a unique information.
NASA-ISRO SAR

NISAR will observe Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces globally with 12-day
regularity on ascending and descending passes, sampling Earth on average every six
days for a baseline three-year mission.
It will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces and ice masses,
providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea-level rise and
groundwater, and will support a host of other applications.
It would also provide data on natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis,
volcanoes and landslides.
What are L and S Bands?

NASA is providing the mission’s L-band SAR, a high-rate communication subsystem for
science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder and payload data subsystem.
ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band radar, the launch vehicle and
associated launch services for the mission, whose goal is to make global
measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes using advanced
radar imaging.
[pib] Devasthal Optical Telescope

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March 4, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Devasthal Optical Telescope

Mains level : India's astronomical feats

Indian Scientists have indigenously designed and developed a low-cost optical

spectrograph called Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT).

Devasthal Optical Telescope

The ‘Made in India’ optical spectrograph is named as Aries-Devasthal Faint Object

Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC).
It is indigenously designed and developed by Aryabhatta Research Institute of
Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital.
DOT locates sources of faint light from distant quasars and galaxies in a very
young universe, regions around supermassive black-holes around the galaxies, and
cosmic explosions.
Such spectroscopes were so far imported from abroad involved high costs.
Try this PYQ:

Q.“Event Horizon” is related to:

(a) Telescope

(b) Black hole

(c) Solar glares

(d) None of the above

Special features

It is about 2.5 times less costly compared to the imported ones and can locate
sources of light with a photon-rate as low as about 1 photon per second.
It has been successfully commissioned on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope
(DOT), the largest in the country and in Asia, near Nainital Uttarakhand.
This instrument uses a complex arrangement of several lenses made of special
glasses, polished to better than 5-nanometer smoothness to produce sharp images of
the celestial sky.
Photons coming from distant celestial sources, collected by the telescope, are
sorted into different colours by the spectrograph and are finally converted into
electronic recordable signals.
It uses an in-house developed Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera cooled to an
extremely low temperature of -120 0
ISRO places Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite

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March 1, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Amazonia satellite

Mains level : Not Much

The successful launch of Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite by the Indian Space Research
Organisation marks a new high point in space cooperation between the two countries.

Note why Amazonia-1 Satellite is distinct in itself. It paves for statement based
MCQs.
Amazonia-1 Satellite

The Amazônia-1 or SSR- is the first Earth observation satellite entirely developed
by Brazil.
It is optimized to peer at the cloud-covered region of its namesake, the Amazon
forest since it has infrared capabilities that allow it to look at the forest cover
regardless of the weather.
Brazil plans to use the satellite to “alert deforestation” in the region, Brazil’s
National Institute for Space Research (INPE) said in an Amazonia 1 mission
description.
Significance of the launch

This confirms the infinite potential of the India-Brazil partnership to overcome

our development challenges through high technology.
The launch also marked the first dedicated mission of ISRO’s commercial arm
NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL).
[pib] Sun’s Rotation over the Century

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February 25, 2021
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Sun’s Rotation

Mains level : Not Much

Scientists at Kodaikanal Solar Observatory have estimated how the Sun has rotated
over a century from data extracted from old films and photographs that have been
digitized.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Consider the following phenomena:

Size of the sun at dusk

Colour of the sun at dawn
Moon being visible at dawn
Twinkle of stars in the sky
Polestar being visible in the sky
Which of the above are optical illusions?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 2, 3 and 5
Sun’s Rotation

The Sun rotates around an axis that is roughly perpendicular to the plane of the
ecliptic; the Sun’s rotational axis is tilted by 7.25° from perpendicular to the
ecliptic.
It rotates in the counterclockwise direction (when viewed from the north), the same
direction that the planets rotate (and orbit around the Sun).
The Sun’s rotation period varies with latitude on the Sun since it is made of gas.
Equatorial regions rotate faster than Polar Regions.
The equatorial regions (latitude = 0 degrees) rotate in about 25.6 days. The
regions at 60 degrees latitude rotate in about 30.9 days. Polar Regions rotate in
about 36 days.
Key observations of the study

The Sun rotates more quickly at its equator than at its poles.
Over time, the Sun’s differential rotation rates cause its magnetic field to become
twisted and tangled.
The tangles in the magnetic field lines can produce strong localized magnetic
fields.
When the Sun’s magnetic field gets twisted, there are lots of sunspots.
The sunspots which form at the surface with an 11-year periodicity are the only
route to probe the solar dynamo or solar magnetism inside the Sun and hence measure
the variation in solar rotation.
Benefits offered

This estimation would help study the magnetic field generated in the interior of
the Sun, which causes sunspots and results in extreme situations like the
historical mini-ice age on Earth (absence of sunspots).
It could also help predict solar cycles and their variations in the future.
ISRO collaborates to build alternative to Google Maps
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Post date
February 16, 2021
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : MapmyIndia, Various tools of ISRO

Mains level : Geospatial data and its utilization

The ISRO has joined hands with MapmyIndia to combine their geospatial expertise and
build holistic solutions by leveraging their geoportals.

Note various geo-spatial solutions of ISRO mentioned in the newscard.

What is the Project?

It combines the power of MapmyIndia’s digital maps and technologies with ISRO’s
catalogue of satellite imagery and earth observation data.
Indian users would not be dependent on foreign organisations for maps, navigation
and geospatial services, and leverage made-in-India solutions instead.
Various components

The collaboration will enable them to jointly identify and build holistic
geospatial solutions utilising the ISRO’s earth observation datasets such as-

IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) called NavIC (Navigation with
Indian Constellation, is India’s own navigation system, developed by ISRO.
Bhuvan is the national geo-portal developed and hosted by ISRO comprising
geospatial data, services and tools for analysis.
VEDAS (Visualization of Earth observation Data and Archival System) is an online
geo-processing platform using an optical, microwave, thermal and hyperspectral EO
data covering applications particularly meant for academia, research and problem
solving, according to ISRO.
MOSDAC (Meteorological and Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre)is a data
repository for all the meteorological missions of ISRO and deals with weather-
related information, oceanography and tropical water cycles.
About MapmyIndia

MapmyIndia is an Indian technology company that builds digital map data, telematics
services, location-based SaaS (Software as a service) and GIS AI services.
The company was founded in 1992 and is headquartered at New Delhi with regional
offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru and smaller offices across India.
Its map covers all 7.5 lakh villages, 7500+ cities at street and building-level,
connected by all 63 lakh kilometres of road network pan India and within cities, in
total providing maps for an unparalleled 3+ crore places across India.
Mukundpura CM2

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
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Post date
January 11, 2021
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Meteor terminology

Mains level : Study of asteroids and meteors

An asteroid which made its landfall in Mukundpura village near Jaipur has been
named after the same village and is under the study of Geological Survey of India,
Kolkata.

Try this question from CSP 2014:

Q.What is a coma, in the content of astronomy?

(a) Bright half of material on the comet

(b) Long tail of dust

(c) Two asteroids orbiting each other

(d) Two planets orbiting each other

Mukundpura CM2

The meteorite named Mukundpura CM2 was classified to be a carbonaceous chondrite.

This is a type of stony meteorite, considered the most primitive meteorite and a
remnant of the first solid bodies to accrete in the solar system.
The composition of carbonaceous chondrites is also similar to the Sun.
Chondrites are silicate-droplet-bearing meteorites, and this Mukundpura chondrite
is the fifth carbonaceous meteorite known to fall in India.
Why it is important to study meteorites?

Meteorites are representative of asteroids.

Asteroids are the remnant debris of the inner solar system formation process and
thus offer the formation history or the building blocks of the planets.
Therefore, by studying meteorites in the laboratory and asteroids by exploration
and sample return mission we try to reconstruct the activity of early solar system
events.
Also, asteroids are often rich in volatiles and other minerals and can be exploited
for future planetary exploration.
Do you know?

Meteorites are broadly classified into three groups – stony (silicate-rich), iron
(Fe–Ni alloy), and stony-iron (mixed silicate–iron alloy).
Details of its study

The study revealed that Mukundpura CM2 had experienced varying degrees of
alteration during the impact.
Some minerals like forsterite and FeO olivine, calcium aluminium rich inclusion
(CAI) minerals escaped alteration.
Few magnetites, sulphides and calcites were also found.
Detailed spectroscopic studies revealed that the meteorite had very high (about
90%) phyllosilicate minerals comprising both magnesium and iron.
Further X-ray studies showed it also had aluminium complexes.
Relevance to asteroids

The results of the Mukundpura CM2 study are relevant to the surface composition of
near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu.
In October 2020, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission collected samples from Bennu and is
expected to return in September 2023.
Last month, Japan’s Hayabusa-2 mission landed on Earth with samples from Ryugu.
Back2Basics:

CMS-01 Satellite launched by ISRO

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
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Science
Post date
December 18, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : CMS-01

Mains level : Not Much

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed into a transfer
orbit India’s 42nd communications satellite, CMS-01, carried onboard the PSLV-C50.

CMS-01

It is a communications satellite envisaged for providing services in extended C

Band of the frequency spectrum and its coverage will include the Indian mainland
and the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, the ISRO.
The satellite is expected to have a life of over seven years.
It was injected precisely into its pre-defined sub- geostationary transfer orbit
(GTO).
CMS-01 is considered to be a replacement of the aged satellite GSAT-12. It provides
services like tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster management support and
Satellite Internet access.
What is GTO?

A geosynchronous transfer orbit or geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is a type of

geocentric orbit.
Satellites which are destined for geosynchronous (GSO) or geostationary orbit (GEO)
are (almost) always put into a GTO as an intermediate step for reaching their final
orbit.
A GTO is highly elliptic.
Its perigee (closest point to Earth) is typically as high as low Earth orbit (LEO),
while its apogee (furthest point from Earth) is as high as geostationary (or
equally, a geosynchronous) orbit.
Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
November 28, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : GMRT

Mains level : Not Much

The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) has been selected as a ‘Milestone’
facility by the U.S.-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE).

Note: GMRT is not an ISRO mission.

About GMRT

The GMRT located near Pune is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio
telescopes of 45-metre diameter, observing at metre wavelengths.
It is operated by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a part of the
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
It was conceived and built under the direction of Late Prof. Govind Swarup from
1984 to 1996.
At the time it was built, it was the world’s largest interferometric array offering
a baseline of up to 25 kilometres (16 mi).
Astronomers from all over the world regularly use this telescope to observe many
different astronomical objects such as HII regions (interstellar atomic hydrogen
that is ionized), galaxies, pulsars, supernovae, and Sun and solar winds.
A significant feat

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organisation dedicated to

advancing technology in all areas related to electrical and electronics
engineering.
The IEEE Milestones programme honours significant technical achievements which have
a global or regional impact. This is only the third such IEEE ‘Milestone’
recognition for an Indian contribution.
The previous two Indian IEEE Milestones were for the pioneering work done by Sir
J.C. Bose to demonstrate the generation and reception of radio waves in 1895
(recognised in 2012), and for the Nobel Prize-winning (in 1930) ‘scattering of
light’ phenomenon observed by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928.
[pib] IRNSS now part of World Wide Radio Navigation System

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
November 21, 2020
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : IRNSS, IMO, NaVIC

Mains level : IRNSS

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been accepted as a
component of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the
Indian Ocean Region by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Try this PYQ:

With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider
the following statements:

IRNSS has three Satellites in geostationary and four satellites the geosynchronous
orbits.
IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.
India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by
the middle of 2019.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) None
What is IRNSS?

The IRNSS, with an operational name of NavIC (acronym for Navigation with Indian
Constellation) is an Indian regional satellite navigation system that provides
accurate real-time positioning and timing services.
It covers India and a region extending 1,500 km around it, with plans for further
extension.
The system currently consists of a constellation of seven satellites, with two
additional satellites on ground as stand-by.
The constellation is in orbit as of 2018, and the system was expected to be
operational from early 2018 after a system check.
It will provide two levels of service, the “standard positioning service”, which
will be open for civilian use, and a “restricted service” (an encrypted one) for
authorised users (including the military).
Benefits of the move

This move will enable merchant vessels to use IRNSS for obtaining position
information similar to GPS and GLONASS.
This will assist in the navigation of ships in Indian ocean waters within the area
covered by 50°N latitude, 55°E longitude, 5°S latitude and 110°E longitude
(approximately up to 1500 km from Indian boundary).
Back2Basics: International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

IMO is the UN specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of
shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.
Its primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework
for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal
matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.
IMO is governed by an assembly of members and is financially administered by a
council of members elected from the assembly.
EOS-01 Satellite

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
October 29, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : EOS-01

Mains level : Not Much

India would launch its latest earth observation satellite EOS-01 and nine
international customer spacecraft onboard it’s PSLV-C49.

Try this PYQ:

Q.The term ‘IndARC’, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of:

(a) An indigenously developed radar system inducted into Indian Defence

(b) India’s satellite to provide services to the countries of Indian Ocean Rim

(c) A scientific establishment set up by India in Antarctic region

(d) India’s underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region

EOS-01

EOS-01 is intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster

management support.
This is the first launch by the Indian Space Research Organisation since the COVID-
19-induced lockdown came into force in March.
This will be the 51st mission of ISRO’s workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle.
What is Earth Observation Satellite (EOS)?

An EOS or remote sensing satellite is a satellite used or designed for Earth

observation (EO) from orbit, including spy satellites and similar ones intended for
non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, cartography and
others.
Starting with IRS-1A in 1988, ISRO has launched many operational remote sensing
satellites.
Today, India has one of the largest constellations of remote sensing satellites in
operation.
Currently, *thirteen* operational satellites are in Sun-synchronous orbit and
*four* in Geostationary orbit.
The data from these satellites are used for several applications covering
agriculture, water resources, urban planning, rural development, mineral
prospecting, environment, forestry, ocean resources and disaster management.
Indian Sat: Another satellite made by students

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
October 13, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Femto Satellites, Micro-gravity

Mains level : Not Much

An experimental satellite developed by three students of Karur (TN) has been

selected for launch in sub-orbital space by NASA.

Try this PYQ:

Q.The term ‘IndARC’, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of:

(a) An indigenously developed radar system inducted into Indian Defence

(b) India’s satellite to provide services to the countries of Indian Ocean Rim

(c) A scientific establishment set up by India in Antarctic region

(d) India’s underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region

Indian Sat

The Indian Sat is made of reinforced graphene polymer. It is 3 cm in size and

weighs 64 gm.
It has its own radio frequency communication to transmit and receive a signal from
earth to outer space. The solar cells attached to the satellite generate power for
it.
The photographic film will absorb and measure the cosmic radiation inside the
rocket.
It would study the effect of reinforced graphene polymers in microgravity. It would
be in sub-orbital space flight for a few minutes before landing in the ocean.
What is micro-gravity?

The term micro-g environment is more or less synonymous with the terms
weightlessness and zero-g, but with an emphasis on the fact that g-forces are never
exactly zero—it is just very small.
On the ISS, for example, the small g-forces come from tidal effects, gravity from
objects other than the Earth, such as astronauts, the spacecraft, and the Sun, and,
occasionally, air resistance.
Back2Basics: Femto-satellites

Femto-satellites are satellites with a mass lower than 100 grams.

These new categories of satellites are, by concept, low cost devices if they are
based on Commercial-of-the-Shelf (COTS) components.
Some examples of applications are related to low-cost missions with a short time of
development.
Kalamsat

Kalamsat was a communication satellite with a life span of two months launched in
2017.
The nanosatellite is a 10cm cube weighing 1.2 kg.
It will be the first to use the rocket’s fourth stage as an orbital platform.
The fourth stage will be moved to higher circular orbit so as to establish an
orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
It is named after former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and was built by an
Indian high school student team, led by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old from the
Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti.
It is the world’s lightest and first-ever 3D-printed satellite.
[pib] 20 years of Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT)
Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 29, 2020
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandra Telescope, Chandra X Ray Observatory

Mains level : Not Much

In the cold, dry desert of Ladakh, 4500 meters above the mean sea level, for two
decades, the 2-m diameter optical-infrared Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at the
Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) has been scanning the night sky for 20 years
in search of stellar explosions, comets, asteroids, and exo-planets.

Chandra X-Ray observatory and now, it is Himalayan Chandra Telescope. Do you the
key difference? The former is a NASA project while the HCT is the Indian one.
Himalayan Chandra Telescope

The HCT is a 2.01 meters (6.5 feet) diameter optical-infrared telescope named after
India-born Nobel laureate Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar.
It contains a modified Ritchey-Chretien system with a primary mirror made of ULE
ceramic which is designed to withstand low temperatures it experiences.
The telescope was manufactured by Electo-Optical System Technologies Inc. at
Tucson, Arizona, USA.
It is mounted with 3 science instruments called Himalaya Faint Object Spectrograph
(HFOSC), the near-IR imager and the optical CCD imager.
It is remotely operated from Hosakote, about 35 km northeast of Bangalore via an
INSAT-3B satellite link which allows operation even in sub-zero temperatures in
winter.
Significant feats

The telescope has been used in many coordinated international campaigns to monitor
stellar explosions, comets, and exo-planets, and has contributed significantly to
these studies.
Some of the thrust research areas are the study of solar system bodies like;
comets, asteroids, the study of star formation processes and young stellar objects,
the study of open and globular clusters and variable stars in them.
It has helped in analysis of elements in the atmosphere of evolved stars, star
formation in external galaxies, Active Galactic Nuclei, stellar explosions like
novae, supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and so on.
[pib] UVIT: India’s first multi-wavelength astronomical observatory

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 29, 2020
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : UVIT

Mains level : Not Much

The satellite that detected the first extreme-UV rays in the Universe from the
cosmic noon celebrated its 5th birthday today.

Try this PYQ:

Q.“Event Horizon” is related to:

(a) Telescope

(b) Black hole

(c) Solar glares

(d) None of the above

Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT)

The UVIT is a remarkable 3-in-1 imaging telescope.

Weighing all of 230 kg, the UVIT can simultaneously observe in the visible, the
near-ultraviolet (NUV) and the far-ultraviolet (FUV).
UVIT comprises of two separate telescopes. One of them works in the visible (320-
550 nm) and the NUV (200-300 nm).
The second works only in the FUV (130-180 nm).
Its achievement

It has carried out 1166 observations of 800 unique celestial sources proposed by
scientists both from India and abroad.
It has explored stars, star clusters, mapping of the large and small satellite
galaxies nearby to our own Milky Way galaxy called the Magellanic Clouds.
It is an energetic phenomenon in the Universe such as the ultra-violet counterparts
to gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, active galactic nuclei, and so on.
Its superior spatial resolution capability has enabled astronomers to probe star
formation in galaxies as well as resolve the cores of star clusters (3 times better
than the last NASA mission, GALEX).
Observations from UVIT has recently led to the discovery of a galaxy located at a
distance of about 10 billion light-years from Earth and emitting extreme
ultraviolet radiation that can ionize the intergalactic medium.
Space industry and challenges

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 27, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Not much

Mains level : Paper 3- Opportunities and challenges in outer space

The article analyses opportunities and challenges the outer space technology offers
to us.
Emerging trends in space industry

The price for reaching low Earth orbit has declined by a factor of 20 in a decade.
It enhances human space travel possibilities by leveraging new commercial
capabilities.
According to a Bank of America Report, the $350 billion space market today will
touch $2.7 trillion by 2050.
Starlink, the constellation being constructed by SpaceX to provide global Internet
access, plans more than 10,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit.
In a decade, 80,000 such satellites could be in space compared to less than 3,000
at present.
Companies such as Planet, Spire Global and Iceye are using orbital vantage points
to collect and analyse data to deliver fresh insights in weather forecasting,
global logistics, crop harvesting and disaster response.
Space could prove attractive for high-tech manufacturing too.
In short, an exciting new platform is opening up for entrepreneurs.
3 Challenges

1) Governance of outer space

Framework for governance of outer space as it becomes democratised, commercialised

and crowded is becoming obsolescent.
The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 enshrines the idea that space should be “the
province of all mankind” and “not subject to national appropriation by claims of
sovereignty”.
The Rescue Agreement, Space Liability Convention, and the Space Registration
Convention expanded provisions of the Outer Space Treaty.
The Moon Treaty of 1979 was not ratified by major space-faring nations.
Space law does not have a dispute settlement mechanism, is silent on collisions and
debris, and offers insufficient guidance on interference with others’ space assets.
These gaps heighten the potential for conflict in an era of congested orbits and
breakneck technological change.
2) Acknowledging role of non-state entities

The legal framework related to outre space is state-centric, placing responsibility

on states alone.
However, non-state entities are now in the fray for commercial space exploration
and utilisation.
Some states are providing frameworks for resource recovery through private
enterprises.
Some scholars and governments view this as against the principle of national non-
appropriation, violating the spirit if not the letter of the existing space law.
The lack of alignment of domestic and international normative frameworks risks a
damaging free-for-all competition for celestial resources involving actors outside
the space framework.
3) The arms race in outer space

The space arms race is difficult to curb, especially since almost all space
technologies have military applications.
For example, satellite constellations are commercial but governments could acquire
their data to monitor military movements.
Investment in technologies that can disrupt or destroy space-based capabilities is
under way.
Despite concerns about military activity in outer space for long, not much progress
has been made in addressing them.
The UN General Assembly passes a resolution on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer
Space since 1982.
The current geopolitical situation does not hold hope for addressing concerns of a
space arms race.
Need for space legislation in India

India has invested enormous resources in its space programme through the Indian
Space Research Organisation.
More importantly, our space assets are crucial for India’s development.
The proposed involvement of private players and the creation of an autonomous body
IN-SPACe for permitting and regulating activities of the private sector are welcome
efforts.
However, the space environment that India faces requires us to go beyond meeting
technical milestones.
We need a space legislation enabling coherence across technical, legal, commercial,
diplomatic and defence goals.
Consider the question “Outer space technology is expanding its horizon day by day.
However, there are certain challenges the expansion of the space technology faces.
What are these challenges and suggest ways to deal with such challenges.”
Conclusion

Our space vision also needs to address global governance, regulatory and arms
control issues. As space opens up our space vision needs broadening too.
ASTROSAT Satellite

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 26, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : ASTROSAT; Space missions of ISRO and NASA

Mains level : NA

ASTROSAT, India’s first multi-wavelength satellite observatory, has detected an

extreme ultraviolet (UV) light from a galaxy which is 9.3 billion light-years away
from Earth.

Try out:

Consider the following statements regarding the AstroSat:

1)AstroSat is India’s multi-wavelength space telescope.

2)ASTROSAT mission is that enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength observations
of various astronomical objects with a single satellite.
3)ASTROSAT observes the universe in the optical and high energy X-ray regions of
the electromagnetic spectrum.

Which of the following above statements is true?

a.1 and 2
b.2 and 3
c.1 and 3
d.1, 2 and 3
AUDFs01

AstroSat has detected extreme-UV light from a galaxy, called AUDFs01, 9.3 billion
light-years away from Earth.
The galaxy is located in the Hubble Extreme Deep field, through AstroSat.
This is a very important clue to how the dark ages of the universe ended and there
was light in the universe.
About ASTROSAT

AstroSat is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space telescope. It was

launched on a PSLV-XL on 28 September 2015.
It is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial
sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously.

————–//—————-

Find some time to scroll through recent ISRO missions and discoveries.

[pib] Sarabhai Crater

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 17, 2020
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Sarabhai Crater

Mains level : Chandrayaan 2 Mission

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has named a crater captured by
Chandrayaan 2 Orbiter after Vikram Sarabhai.

Try this PYQ:

What do you understand by the term Aitken Basin? (CSP 2012)

(a) It is a desert in southern Chile which is known to be the only location on

earth where no rainfall takes place

(b) It is an impact crater on the far side of the Moon

(d) It is a deep hypersaline anoxic basin where no aquatic animals are found
Sarabhai Crater

“Sarabhai” Crater is named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai and around 250 to 300
kilometres east of this Crater is where the Apollo 17 and Luna 21 Missions had
landed.
The crater captured in 3D images shows that the Crater has a depth of around 1.7
Kms taken from its raised rim and the slope of Crater walls is in between 25 to 35
degree.
These findings will help the Space Scientists to understand further the process of
the lunar region filled with lava.
Who was Vikram Sarabhai?

Sarabhai was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and
helped develop nuclear power in India.
He is internationally regarded as the Father of the Indian Space Program.
Known as the cradle of space sciences in India, the Physical Research Laboratory
(PRL) was founded in 1947 by him. He was the founder of ISRO.
He started a project for the fabrication and launch of an Indian satellite.
As a result, the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, was put in orbit in 1975 from a
Russian cosmodrome.
Lithium Nucleosynthesis in Stars

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
July 9, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Lithium, Nucleosynthesis, Big Bang

Mains level : Formation of stars

A forty-year-old puzzle regarding the production of lithium in stars has been

solved by Indian researchers.

Try this question from CSP 2013:

Q.Consider the following phenomena:

Size of the sun at dusk

Colour of the sun at dawn
Moon being visible at dawn
Twinkle of stars in the sky
Polestar being visible in the sky
Which of the above are optical illusions?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 3, 4 and 5

(d) 2, 3 and 5
Lithium nucleosynthesis in Stars

Stars, as per known mechanisms of evolution, actually destroy lithium as they

evolve into red giants.
Planets were known to have more lithium than their stars — as is the case with the
Earth-Sun pair.
However, leading to a contradiction, some stars were found that were lithium-rich.
The new work by an Indian researcher shows that when stars grow beyond their Red
Giant stage into what is known as the Red Clump stage, they produce lithium.
This is known as a Helium Flash and this is what enriches them with lithium.
Studying lithium-rich stars

About 40 years ago, a few large stars were spotted that were lithium-rich.
This was followed by further discoveries of lithium-rich stars, and that posed a
puzzle — if stars do not produce lithium, how do some stars develop to become
lithium-rich.
The planet engulfment theory was quite popular. For example, Earth-like planets may
increase the star’s lithium content when they plunge into [their] star’s atmosphere
when the latter become Red Giants.
Findings of the Indian research

Indian researchers have been working on this puzzle for nearly 20 years to devise a
method of measuring lithium content using low-resolution spectra in a large number
of stars.
The study demonstrated that lithium abundance enhancement among low mass giant
stars is common.
Until now, it was believed that only about 1% of giants are lithium-rich.
Secondly, the team has shown that as the star evolves beyond the Red Giant stage,
and before it reaches the Red Clump stage, there is a helium flash which produces
an abundance of lithium.
Back2Basics: Lithium

Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft,
silvery-white alkali metal. Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and
the lightest solid element.
S light element commonly used today in communication device technology, it has an
interesting story.
It was first produced in the Big Bang, around 13.7 billion years ago when the
universe came into being, along with other elements.
While the abundance of other elements grew millions of times, the present abundance
of lithium in the universe is only four times the original [Big Bang] value. It is
actually destroyed in the stars.
The Sun, for instance, has about a factor of 100 lower amount of lithium than the
Earth.
Phobos: The closest and biggest moon of Mars

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
July 4, 2020
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : MOM, Phobos

Mains level : Quest for Mars and its possibility to host life

The Mars Colour Camera (MCC) onboard ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has captured
the image of Phobos, the closest and biggest moon of Mars.

Try this question from CSP 2017:

Q.Which region of Mars has a densely packed river deposit indicating this planet
had water 3.5 billion years ago?

(a) Aeolis Dorsa (b) Tharsis (c) Olympus Mons (d) Hellas
About Phobos

Phobos is the innermost and larger of the two natural satellites of Mars, the other
being Deimos.
Both moons were discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall.
Phobos is a small, irregularly shaped object with a mean radius of 11 km and is
seven times as massive as the outer moon, Deimos.
Phobos is largely believed to be made up of carbonaceous chondrites.
The violent phase that Phobos has encountered is seen in the large section gouged
out from a past collision (Stickney crater) and bouncing ejecta.
Back2Basics: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM)

The MOM also called Mangalyaan is a space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September
2014. It was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO).
It aims at studying the Martian surface and mineral composition as well as scans
its atmosphere for methane (an indicator of life on Mars).
It is India’s first interplanetary mission and it made it the fourth space agency
to reach Mars, after Roscosmos, NASA, and the European Space Agency.
It made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit and the first nation in
the world to do so on its maiden attempt.
It was initially meant to last six months, but subsequently, ISRO had said it had
enough fuel for it to last “many years.”
IN-SPACe: Future forerunner for India’s space economy

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy,
Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth
Post date
June 26, 2020
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : IN-SPACE, ANTRIX, NSIl

Mains level : ISRO and India's space economy

The government approved the creation of Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to ensure greater private participation in India’s
space activities.
This decision is described as historic being part of an important set of reforms to
open up the space sector and make space-based applications and services more widely
accessible to everyone.
Practice question for mains:

Q. What is IN-SPACe? Discuss how it would benefit ISRO and contribute to India’s
space economy.
What is IN-SPACe?

IN-SPACe is supposed to be a facilitator, and also a regulator.

It will act as an interface between ISRO and private parties and assess how best to
utilise India’s space resources and increase space-based activities.
IN-SPACe is the second space organisation created by the government in the last two
years.
In the 2019 Budget, the government had announced the setting up of a New Space
India Limited (NSIL), a public sector company that would serve as a marketing arm
of ISRO.
Confusion over NSIL and ANTRIX

NSIL’s main purpose is to market the technologies developed by ISRO and bring it
more clients that need space-based services.
That role, incidentally, was already being performed by Antrix Corporation, another
PSU working under the Department of Space, and which still exists.
It is still not very clear why there was a need for another organisation with
overlapping function.
The government now had clarified the role of NSIL that it would have a demand-
driven approach rather than the current supply-driven strategy.
Essentially, what that means is that instead of just marketing what ISRO has to
offer, NSIL would listen to the needs of the clients and ask ISRO to fulfil those.
Then, why was IN-SPACe needed?

(1) ISRO and its limited resources

It is not that there is no private industry involvement in India’s space sector.

In fact, a large part of the manufacturing and fabrication of rockets and
satellites now happens in the private sector. There is increasing participation of
research institutions as well.
Indian industry, however, is unable to compete, because till now its role has been
mainly that of suppliers of components and sub-systems.
Indian industries do not have the resources or the technology to undertake
independent space projects of the kind that US companies such as SpaceX have been
doing or provide space-based services.
(2) India and the global space economy

Indian industry had a barely three per cent share in a rapidly growing global space
economy which was already worth at least $360 billion.
Only two per cent of this market was for rocket and satellite launch services,
which require fairly large infrastructure and heavy investment.
The remaining 95 per cent related to satellite-based services, and ground-based
systems.
(3) Catering to domestic demands

The demand for space-based applications and services is growing even within India,
and ISRO is unable to cater to this.
The need for satellite data, imageries and space technology now cuts across
sectors, from weather to agriculture to transport to urban development and more.
If ISRO is to provide everything, it would have to be expanded 10 times the current
level to meet all the demand that is arising.
(4) Promoting other private players

Right now, all launches from India happen on ISRO rockets, the different versions
of PSLV and GSLV.
There were a few companies that were in the process of developing their own launch
vehicles, the rockets like ISRO’s PSLV that carry the satellites and other payloads
into space.
Now ISRO could provide all its facilities to private players whose projects had
been approved by IN-SPACe.
How ISRO gains from all these?

There are two main reasons why enhanced private involvement in the space sector
seems important.
One is commercial, and the other strategic. And ISRO seems unable to satisfy this
need on its own.
Of course, there is a need for greater dissemination of space technologies, better
utilization of space resources, and increased requirement of space-based services.
The private industry will also free up ISRO to concentrate on science, research and
development, interplanetary exploration and strategic launches.
Right now too much of ISRO’s resources are consumed by routine activities that
delay its more strategic objectives.
A win-win situation for all

ISRO, like NASA, is essentially a scientific organisation whose main objective is

the exploration of space and carrying out scientific missions.
There are a number of ambitious space missions lined up in the coming years,
including a mission to observe the Sun, a mission to the Moon, a human spaceflight,
and then, possibly, a human landing on the Moon.
And it is not that private players will wean away from the revenues that ISRO gets
through commercial launches.
The space-based economy is expected to “explode” in the next few years, even in
India, and there would be more than enough for all.
In addition, ISRO can earn some money by making its facilities and data available
to private players.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
June 25, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : IN-SPACE, ANTRIX

Mains level : ISRO and the scope for its commercial operations

The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of the Indian National Space Promotion
and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to provide a level playing field for private
companies to use Indian space infrastructure.

Note the key differences between IN-SPACe, ANTRIX and NSIL. We can expect a prelims
question with shuffled objectives of these organisations.
IN-SPACe

The creation of IN-SPACe is part of reforms aimed at giving a boost to private

sector participation in the entire range of space activities.
The IN-SPACe is expected to hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in
space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory
environment.
It would endeavour to reorient space activities from a ‘supply-driven’ model to a
‘demand-driven’ one, thereby ensuring optimum utilization of the nation’s space
assets.
Why need IN-SPACe?

India is among a handful of countries with advanced capabilities in the space

sector.
Space sector can play a major catalytic role in the technological advancement and
expansion of our Industrial base.
The proposed reforms will enhance the socio-economic use of space assets and
activities, including through improved access to space assets, data and facilities.
Back2Basics: New Space India Limited (NSIL)
It functions under the administrative control of Department of Space (DOS).
It aims to commercially exploit the research and development work of ISRO Centres
and constituent units of DOS.
The NSIL would enable Indian Industries to scale up high-technology manufacturing
and production base for meeting the growing needs of the Indian space programme.
It would further spur the growth of Indian Industries in the space sector.
ANTRIX

Antrix Corporation Limited (ACL), Bengaluru is a wholly-owned Government of India

Company under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
It is as a marketing arm of ISRO for promotion and commercial exploitation of space
products, technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by
ISRO.
Antrix is engaged in providing Space products and services to international
customers worldwide.
Detection of Fluorine in hot Extreme Helium (EHe) Stars

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
June 22, 2020
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Extreme Helium (EHe) Stars

Mains level : NA

A study by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has detected the presence of
singly ionized fluorine for the first time in the atmospheres of hot Extreme Helium
Stars.

UPSC may ask a simple statement-based question considering the following points:

If there is the presence of hydrogen, their abundance in universe and how it is

different from neutron stars etc.
What are EHe stars?

An extreme helium star or EHe is a low-mass supergiant that is almost devoid of

hydrogen, the most common chemical element of the universe.
There are 21 of them detected so far in our galaxy.
The origin and evolution of these Hydrogen deficient objects have been shrouded in
mystery.
Their severe chemical peculiarities challenge the theory of well-accepted stellar
evolution as the observed chemical composition of these stars do not match with
that predicted for low mass evolved stars.
Why is the study significant?

Clues to the evolution of extreme helium stars require accurate determinations of

their chemical composition, and the peculiarities, if any, become very important.
Fluorine plays a very crucial role in this regard to determine the actual
evolutionary sequence of these hydrogen deficient objects.
The scientists explored the relationship of hot EHes with the cooler EHes, based on
their fluorine abundance and spotted it in the former, thus establishing an
evolutionary connection across a wide range of effective temperature.
This makes a strong case that the main form of these objects involves a merger of a
carbon-oxygen (CO) and a Helium (He) white dwarf.
The detection of enhanced fluorine abundances in the atmospheres of hot EHes solves
a decade-old mystery about their formation.
[pib] Earth’s Magnetosphere and its dynamics

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
May 1, 2020
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Earths magnetosphere

Mains level : Earths magnetosphere and its significance for space missions

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have developed a

generalized one-dimensional fluid simulation code capable of studying a wide
spectrum of coherent electric field structures of earth’s magnetosphere which can
be useful in the planning of future space missions.

The newscard talks of not so new phenomenon but a basic terminology of space
sciences. Kindly make a note of what the Magnotesphere is, how it is formed, role
of solar winds, Geodynamo etc.
Earth’s Magnetosphere

The magnetosphere is the region of space surrounding Earth where the dominant
magnetic field is the magnetic field of Earth, rather than the magnetic field of
interplanetary space.
It is generated by the interaction of the solar wind with Earth’s magnetic field.
Features of the Earth’s magnetosphere

1) Bow shock,

2) Magnetosheath,

3) Magnetopause,

4) Northern tail lobe,

5) Southern tail lobe,

6) Plasmasphere,

7) Solar wind.

How is it formed?

Sun is the major source of plasma deposition in space around the Earth. Sun forces
some of its plasma towards the earth in the form of the solar wind.
The speed of this wind varies between 300 to 1500 km/s, which carries with it solar
magnetic field, called as Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF).
The magnetic field is generated by electric currents due to the motion of
convection currents of a mixture of molten iron and nickel in the Earth’s outer
core.
These convection currents are caused by heat escaping from the core, a natural
process called a geodynamo.
Why study the magnetosphere?

The Earth’s magnetosphere is a vast region which has a finite number of satellites
hurtling through this realm.
The morphology of the plasma processes around the satellite can be understood quite
well.
However, when they leave the observational domain of one satellite to enter into
another, a vast blind arena is created.
How the morphology of these processes changes over space and time can be ideally
deciphered only through computer simulations.
Outcome of the study

Almost 99% of matter in the universe is in the form of plasma, Earth’s

magnetosphere, too, contains this material and the plasma.
They have the ability to hamper the working of a number of satellites that have
been placed in orbit in the magnetospheric region.
Significance

Apart from the well being of these expensive satellites, the academic understanding
of this region is quite essential to comprehend the cosmos in its entirety.
The study will help advance the knowledge of plasma waves, instabilities, and
coherent effects associated with wave-particle interactions that are useful in
planning of future space missions.
It can also lead to precisely controlled fusion laboratory experiments for ever-
expanding energy needs of humanity.
[pib] Super-luminous Supernova SN 2010kd

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
April 24, 2020
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Supernovae

Mains level : Not Much

Indian researchers have found that SN 2010kd, a super-luminous supernova stands out
with the amount of mass as well as Nickel ejected during explosion.

Supernovae are kind of energetic explosions were the core of massive stars (a few
times to that of the mass of our Sun) goes to a catastrophic phase of explosion
liberating huge amounts of energy and mass.
These events are visible through very far away distances much beyond our own solar
system.
Super-luminous supernovae are a special type of stellar explosions having energy
output 10 or more times higher than that of standard supernovae.
What is so distinct about SN 2010kd?

The mass ejection from SN 2010kd is metallic and is much more than seen in case of
normal core-collapse supernovae.
The scientists found that SN 2010kd exploded with a larger velocity but decayed
slower than other similar supernovae.
The observations show that parameters like rotation and metallicity play a crucial
role in stellar explosions.
[pib] What is Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN)?

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
April 20, 2020
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN)

Mains level : BBN and its significance in the formation of our solar system

Indian researchers have discovered hundreds of Li-rich giant stars produced during
BBN indicating that Li is being produced in the stars and accounts for its
abundance in the interstellar medium.

Most of the space based theories and missions are focussed on the formation of our
solar system. BBN is the most basic auxillary among them.
What is Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN)?

BBN is the production of nuclei other than those of the lightest isotope of
hydrogen during the early phases of the Universe.
Primordial nucleosynthesis is believed by most cosmologists to have taken place in
the interval from roughly 10 seconds to 20 minutes after the Big Bang.
It is calculated to be responsible for the formation of most of the universe’s
helium in various isotopic forms.
Essentially all of the elements that are heavier than lithium were created much
later, by stellar nucleosynthesis in evolving and exploding stars.
Lithium in space

Lithium (Li), is one of the three primordial elements, apart from Hydrogen and
Helium (He), produced in the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN).
However, the present measurement of Li in the interstellar medium and very young
stars is about 4 times more than the primordial value.
Thus, identifying sources of Li enrichment in our Galaxy has been a great interest
to researchers to validate BBN as well as a stellar mixing process.
In general, stars are considered as Li sinks. This means that the original Li, with
which stars are born, only gets depleted over stars’ life-time as Li burns at
relatively very low temperatures.
[pib] What are Blazars?

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
April 20, 2020
Post date
Custom
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Blazars

Mains level : Black Holes, Blazars

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore have

conducted the first systematic study on the gamma-ray flux variability nature on
different types of Blazars.

Strange terminologies from space-based studies are very important from prelims
point of view. We can expect a statement based question seeking to identify the
term which is being referred to in the paragraph.
What are Blazars?

At the center of most galaxies, there’s a massive black hole that can have mass of
millions or even billions of Suns that accrete gas, dust, and stellar debris around
it.
As these material falls towards the black hole, their gravitational energy gets
converted to light forming active galactic nuclei (AGN).
A minority of AGN (~15%) emit collimated charged particles called jets travelling
at speeds close to the speed of light.
Blazars are AGN whose jets are aligned with the observer’s line of sight.
Some blazars are thought to host binary black holes in them and could be potential
targets for future gravitational-wave searches.
Studying blazars

Blazars are the most luminous and energetic objects in the known universe were
found to be emitters of gamma-rays in the 1990s.
It is only with the capability of Fermi Gamma-ray space telescope (launched in
2008) to scan the entire sky once in three hours one is able to probe the flux
variability characteristics of blazars on a range of time scales.
Gamma-ray band is one of the bands of the electromagnetic spectrum on which there
is limited knowledge on the flux variability of blazars.
Major problem while studying them is to localize the site for the production of
gamma-rays.
Significance

The study of blazars could provide clues to the processes happening close to the
black hole, not visible through direct imaging.
Exploring blazars will provide key inputs to constrain the high energy production
site as well as the high energy emission processes.
Aditya L1 Mission

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
February 19, 2020
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Parker Probe. Aditya L1 Mission, Lagranges points

Mains level : Read the attached story

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe launched on August 12, 2018 has completed its fourth
close approach — called perihelion very recently, whizzing past at about 3.93 lakh
km/h, at a distance of only 18.6 million km from the Sun’s surface.

Aditya L1: Exciting ahead

The ISRO is preparing to send its first scientific expedition to study the Sun.
Named Aditya-L1, the mission, expected to be launched early next year, will observe
the Sun from a close distance, and try to obtain information about its atmosphere
and magnetic field.
ISRO categorizes Aditya L1 as a 400 kg-class satellite that will be launched using
the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in XL configuration.
The space-based observatory will have seven payloads (instruments) on board to
study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass
Ejections (CMEs), and will carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.
Aditya L1 will be ISRO’s second space-based astronomy mission after AstroSat, which
was launched in September 2015.
What is L1?

L1 refers to Lagrangian/Lagrange Point 1, one of five points in the orbital plane

of the Earth-Sun system.
Lagrange Points, named after Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange,
are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system (like
the Sun and the Earth) produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.
These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in
position.
The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), an
international collaboration project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The L1 point is about 1.5 million km from Earth, or about one-hundredth of the way
to the Sun.
But why is studying the Sun important?

Every planet, including Earth and the exoplanets beyond the Solar System, evolves —
and this evolution is governed by its parent star.
The solar weather and environment, which is determined by the processes taking
place inside and around the sun, affects the weather of the entire system.
Variations in this weather can change the orbits of satellites or shorten their
lives, interfere with or damage onboard electronics, and cause power blackouts and
other disturbances on Earth.
Knowledge of solar events is key to understanding space weather.
To learn about and track Earth-directed storms, and to predict their impact,
continuous solar observations are needed.
Every storm that emerges from the Sun and heads towards Earth passes through L1,
and a satellite placed in the halo orbit around L1 of the Sun-Earth system has the
major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.
Why are solar missions challenging?

What makes a solar mission challenging is the distance of the Sun from Earth (about
149 million km on average, compared to the only 3.84 lakh km to the Moon).
More importantly the super hot temperatures and radiations in the solar atmosphere
make it difficult to study.
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has already gone far closer — but it will be looking away
from the Sun.
The earlier Helios 2 solar probe, a joint venture between NASA and space agency of
erstwhile West Germany, went within 43 million km of the Sun’s surface in 1976.
Problem of Heat

The Parker Solar Probe’s January 29 flyby was the closest the spacecraft has gone
to the Sun in its planned seven-year journey so far.
Computer modelling estimates show that the temperature on the Sun-facing side of
the probe’s heat shield, the Thermal Protection System, reached 612 degrees
Celsius, even as the spacecraft and instruments behind the shield remained at about
30°C, NASA said.
During the spacecraft’s three closest perihelia in 2024-25, the TPS will see
temperatures around 1370°C.
Hurdles for Aditya L1

It will stay much farther away, and the heat is not expected to be a major concern
for the instruments on board. But there are other challenges.
Many of the instruments and their components for this mission are being
manufactured for the first time in the country, presenting as much of a challenge
as an opportunity for India’s scientific, engineering, and space communities.
One such component is the highly polished mirrors which would be mounted on the
space-based telescope.
Due to the risks involved, payloads in earlier ISRO missions have largely remained
stationary in space; however, Aditya L1 will have some moving components,
scientists said.
NavIC navigation system

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
January 25, 2020
Post date
Business Stan
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NAVIC, IRNSS

Mains level : Utility of NAVIC

Qualcomm Technologies has released chipsets, supporting India’s own GPS system
‘Navigation with Indian Constellation’ (NavIC).

New androids to be equipped with NavIC

The Qualcomm chipsets now supports up to 7 satellite constellations at the same

time, including the use of all of NavIC’s operating satellites.
These enhancements will enable select mobile, automotive and IoT platforms to
better serve key industries and technology ecosystems in the region.
It will help improve user experience for location-based applications especially in
dense urban environments where geolocation accuracy tends to degrade, said the
company earlier.
About NavIC

The name NavIC was given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after successful launch of
the seventh navigation satellite, in April, 2016.
To date, ISRO has built a total of nine satellites in the IRNSS series, of which
eight are currently in orbit.
The constellation is designed to provide accurate position information service to
users in India as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary,
which is its primary service area.
It is designed to provide two types of services – Standard Positioning Service
(SPS), which is provided to all users and Restricted Service (RS), which is an
encrypted service provided only to the authorised users.
The system is expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 m in the
primary service area.
For more readings about NAVIC, navigate to the page:

[op-ed of the day] Lady Gaganaut

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
January 24, 2020
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Skybot F-850: Robot sent by Russia to dock with the International
Space Station.

Mains level : Paper 3-Vyommitra, India's human spaceflight in 2022.

Context

The first gaganaut-Vyomamitra- to head for space in an Indian craft will not be
human, but humanoid.

What Vyomamitra would do on spaceflight?

Test the technological environment: Vyomamitra unveiled by ISRO will fly two
missions to test the technological environment which human gaganauts will inhabit
on India’s first demonstration of human spaceflight in 2022.
She will test the systems and instruments that they would use.
Vyomamitra cannot test the cabin ecosystem, as she would not be able to breathe
the air.
Other functions: Vyomamitra is perfectly capable of issuing commands, activating
switches and, obviously, communicating with earth.
Give company to human travellers: Her prototype has already chatted with people at
the Isro event where she was introduced to the public, and future iterations will
be able to give company to human travellers at the loneliest frontier.
A shift from sending animals to humanoids

Performing roles previously performed by animals: Vyomamitra will be executing the

pioneering role which has traditionally been given to animals – testing systems for
survivability.
Fruit flies and monkeys were the first beings to lift off, riding V2 rockets with
devices monitoring their vital signs.
Why using humanoid is more useful: Using a humanoid robot is more useful because it
can be used to replicate the behavioural and operational responses of a human.
Indeed, robots need not remain pioneers testing survivability, or assistants to the
human crew, but are expected to crew missions that are too prolonged or too
dangerous for a human pilot.
Opportunities and the future of AI-powered humanoid

Russian robot in space: As India prepared for human flight, in August 2019, the
Russian space agency Roscosmos sent up the anthropomorphic robot Skybot F-850 to
dock with the International Space Station.
The mission has been halted because of technical issues.
Goals beyond survivability testing: If the nation which pioneered human spaceflight
with Yuri Gagarin’s mission in 1961 is sending humanoid robots into space,
survivability testing is not the only legitimate goal of missions powered by
artificial intelligence and robotics.
Opportunity to develop new technologies: Humanoid in space also provide
opportunities to test and develop these technologies under circumstances that do
not prevail on earth.
The inputs, goals and skills learned are different and while AI on earth
specifically focuses on creating systems which do not think like humans,
Human-like AI system need of industry: The space industry would value systems that
are human-like, to stand in for crew.
Conclusion

Vyomamitra represents the very first iteration of AI in space, and later

generations could prove to be as essential for spaceflight as cryogenic engines.

Vyom Mitra: ISRO’s half-humanoid

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
January 23, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Vyoma Mitra

Mains level : Various functions of Vyoma Mitra in ISRO's unmanned missions

ISRO unveiled its first ‘woman’ astronaut during the event ‘Human Spaceflight and
Exploration’.

Vyom Mitra

The AI-based robotic system is being developed at a robotics lab at the VSSC in
Thiruvananthapuram.
Vyom Mitra will be used for an unmanned flight of ISRO’s GSLV III rocket in
December 2020, which, along with a second unmanned flight in July 2021.
This will serve as the test of ISRO’s preparedness for its maiden manned space
mission, Gaganyaan, being targeted for 2022 to mark 75 years of India’s
independence.
Functions of the humanoid

Vyommitra, equipped with a head, two arms and a torso, is built to mimic crew
activity inside the crew module of Gaganyaan.
Attaining launch and orbital postures, responding to the environment, generating
warnings, replacing carbon dioxide canisters, operating switches, monitoring of the
crew module, receiving voice commands, responding via speech (bilingual) are among
its functions listed.
It will have a human-like face, with lips synchronised for movement to mimic
speech.
Once it is fully developed, Vyommitra will be able to use equipment on board the
spacecraft’s crew module, like safety mechanisms and switches, as well as receive
and act on commands sent from ground stations.
GSAT-30 successfully launched

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
January 17, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : GSAT-30 and its applications

Mains level : Not Much

India’s first satellite of 2020, the GSAT-30 was successfully launched. The launch
vehicle Ariane 5 VA-251 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base, French Guiana.

GSAT-30

GSAT-30 derives its heritage from ISRO’s earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series
and will replace INSAT-4A in
In the days ahead, orbit-raising manoeuvres will be performed to place
the satellite in Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) by
using its onboard propulsion
During the final stages of its orbit raising operations, the two solar
arrays and the antenna reflectors of GSAT-30 will be
Following this, the satellite will be put in its final orbital . The
satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-
orbit tests.
Utility of the satellite

GSAT-30 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM,
Stock-exchange, Television unlinking and Teleport Services, Digital Satellite
News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications.
The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of an
emerging telecommunication
Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
January 7, 2020
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

Mains level : Significance of IDRSS

India plans to ring in its own era of space-to-space tracking and communication of
its space assets this year by putting up a new satellite series called the Indian
Data Relay Satellite System.

Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS)

The IDRSS is planned to track and be constantly in touch with Indian satellites, in
particular those in low-earth orbits which have limited coverage of earth.
In the coming years, it will be vital to ISRO whose roadmap is dotted with advanced
LEO missions such as space docking, space station, as well as distant expeditions
to moon, Mars and Venus.
It will also be useful in monitoring launches.
The first beneficiary would be the prospective crew members of the Gaganyaan
mission of 2022 who can be fully and continuously in touch with mission control
throughout their travel.
IDRSS satellites of the 2,000 kg class would be launched on the GSLV launcher to
geostationary orbits around 36,000 km away.
Sun’s Corona

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
December 30, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Sun's Corona

Mains level : Space Weather

Solar physicists from Centre for Excellence in Space Sciences (CESSI), IISER
Kolkata, have succeeded in predicting the shape of Sun’s corona at the time of the
recent annular eclipse.

What is Corona?

The corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. It is the aura of plasma
that surrounds the Sun and other stars.
The Sun’s corona extends millions of kilometres into outer space and is most easily
seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.
Spectroscopy measurements indicate strong ionization in the corona and a plasma
temperature in excess of 1000000 Kelvin much hotter than the surface of the Sun.
Predicting in advance

The Predictive Solar Surface Flux Transport model developed by the CESSI team can
predict the shape of the corona well in advance.
The researchers can predict the large-scale structure of the Sun’s corona up to two
months in advance.
This model gives advance knowledge and a large window of preparedness for space
weather driven by coronal magnetic fields.
Why Space weather matters?

The dynamic events on the Sun can affect Earth’s outer atmosphere and our
technologies, leading to disruption in communication and navigation networks (GPS).
These are more frequent during solar maxima and pose a threat to space reliant
technology and astronauts.
RISAT-2BR1

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
December 12, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : RISAT-2BR1

Mains level : Uses and applications of RISAT-2BR1

ISRO’s rocket PSLV-C48 blasted off from the spaceport carrying India’s radar
imaging earth observation satellite RISAT-2BR1 and nine foreign satellites.

This launch has marked a significant milestone for ISRO as it is the 50th flight of
the PSLV and also the 75th vehicle mission from Sriharikota.

RISAT-2BR1

RISAT-2BR1 is an Indian radar reconnaissance satellite that is part of India’s

RISAT programme and the fourth satellite in the series.
The satellite has resolution of 0.35 meters by which two objects separated by
distance of 0.35 metres can be distinctly identified.
The mission duration is planned to be 5 years.
It is meant for applications in various fields like agriculture, forestry and
disaster management support.
The other 9 satellites are being launched under a commercial arrangement with the
NewSpace India Ltd.
ISRO’s Second Spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam (TN)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
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December 3, 2019
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : PSLV, SSLV

Mains level : Launchpads and their technical pre-requisites

The ISRO has commenced land acquisition for its second launchpad in
Kulasekarapattinam, a town in the Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) district of Tamil Nadu.

ISRO’s spaceport

ISRO’s first and only spaceport, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), is located
in Sriharikota, about 100 km north of Chennai, in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
The organisation launches its PSLV and GSLV rockets from here.
The SDSC, setup in 1971, currently has two active launchpads.
Its first launchpad was decommissioned once the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
programme ended in 1994.
The first of the two active pads mostly services the PSLV and the second, the GSLV,
and which ISRO is currently modifying to accommodate crewed vehicle missions as
part of its upcoming human spaceflight project, Gaganyaan.
The second spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam is expected to provide an important
advantage to ISRO’s upcoming Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), a smaller
counterpart of the PSLV.
Why need another launchpad?

The PSLV is designed to launch satellites into pole-to-pole, or polar, orbits

around Earth.
However, it can’t enter into such an orbit straightaway after launch because its
trajectory needs to avoid flying over Sri Lanka, protecting its popular centres
from any debris from the rocket.
So once the rocket lifts off from Sriharikota, it flies further east to avoid Sri
Lanka and then steers itself back towards the South Pole.
This manoeuvre requires more fuel, and for a smaller rocket like the SSLV, the
addition could eat into its already limited payload capacity and reduce the
rocket’s value for Antrix, ISRO’s commercial operator.
By setting up a spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam the SSLV will lift off over the
Lakshadweep Sea and won’t have to swerve around Sri Lanka as it climbs to higher
altitudes.
Why Thoothukudi?

Proximity to the seashore makes Thoothukudi ideal for “straight southward”

launches. From Sriharikota, such southward bound launches are not possible as the
rockets have to fly around Sri Lanka.
Nearness to the equator: Like the Sriharikota spaceport in the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Thoothukudi was selected as a spaceport due to its nearness to the equator.
A rocket launch site should be on the east coast and near the equator.
Logistical ease: ISRO has its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at
Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district, where it assembles the second and fourth
stage engines for the PSLV. Instead of transporting the second and fourth stages to
Sriharikota from Mahendragiri, it would be easier to shift them to the launch pad
if it is built in Kulasekarapattinam, which is around 100 km away.
Cartosat-3

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
November 27, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Cartosat Series

Mains level : Cartosat and its applications

Advanced earth observation satellite Cartosat-3 has been launched from the Satish
Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota.

Cartosat-3

At 1,625 kg, Cartosat-3 is unusually heavy and more than double the mass of the
previous eight in its class.
Many new technologies have been built in, such as a highly agile or flexible
camera; high-speed data transmission, advanced computer system and new power
electronics.
It is aimed to have the `sharpest eye’ of civil remote sensing satellites in the
world.
It will be carried by PSLV-C47.
Thirteen small satellites of two U.S. customers will be the secondary payloads.
What’s so special about Cartosat-3?

A key feature of the Cartosats is that they help to detect changes in natural
geographical or man-made features.
Their cameras can `look back and forth’ in an angle to generate continuous spot
images.
One of Cartosat-3’s cameras offers a ground resolution of 25 cm – this means it can
pick up an object of a minimum of that size from a height of around 500 km.
Currently, WorldView-3, a satellite owned by US company Maxar, has the best ground
resolution of 31 cm.
Cartosat-3 ushers in the third generation of high-resolution `optical imaging’
satellites that enable precise cartographic or mapping activities, apart from their
unstated military use.
Cartosat series

The Cartosat satellites are a series of Indian earth observation satellites built
and operated by the ISRO.
The Cartosat series is a part of the Indian Remote Sensing Program. They are used
for Earth’s resource management defence services and monitoring.
So far, the ISRO has orbited eight Cartosats since May 2005.
Data from most of them, especially the last four Carto-2 series ones, launched in
relatively quick succession in the last three years, are exclusively used by the
armed forces.
The second one, Cartosat-2 of January 2007, breached the 1-metre threshold, which
was an ambitious benchmark at that time.
The previous best view from a Cartosat was 65 cm, as put in the last three or four
satellites in the Cartosat-2 series – 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F.
However, an existing policy allows only government and government authorised
agencies to access ISRO’s high-resolution imageries below a resolution of 1 metre.
Uses
The imageries from Cartosat series satellites are useful for cartographic
applications, urban and rural applications, infrastructure planning, coastal land
use and regulation.
It also finds applications in utility management such as monitoring road networks,
water grids or distribution, creation of land use maps, among others.
NAVIC (Navigation in Indian Constellation)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
November 4, 2019
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The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NAVIC

Mains level : Utility of NAVIC

The ISRO and its older commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. are poised to
commercialise India’s regional navigation satellite system, NavIC.
Antrix recently floated two separate tenders to identify industries that can
develop dedicated NavIC-based hardware and systems.
NavIC (Navigation in Indian Constellation)

It is the Indian system of seven satellites that is aimed at telling the business
and individual users where they are, or how their products and services are moving.
The indigenous positioning or location-based service (LBS) works just like the
established and popular U.S. Global Positioning System or GPS but within a 1,500-km
radius over the sub-continent.
It covers India and a region extending 1,500 km around it, with plans for further
extension.
NAVIC will provide two levels of service, the “standard positioning service“, which
will be open for civilian use, and a “restricted service“ (an encrypted one) for
authorised users (including the military).
NAVIC is planned to become available for civilian use in the first half of 2020
Early users

The early set of commercial NavIC users would be potentially transporters of

resources such as mined ore, coal and sand in various States.
Several transporters currently use GPS-based systems.
Positive developments

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a leading producer of semiconductor chips, had

developed and tested NavIC-friendly chipsets across its user bases and that it
would add NavIC to them.
Apart from GPS, its chips can work with the global navigation satellite systems of
Europe (Galileo), Russia (GLONASS) and China (Beidou.)
ISRO said this support would be available for original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) from November 2019.
It expects the indigenous system to ‘enhance’ the use of NavIC on mobile,
automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
3GPP project

The important positive for NavIC was the certification of the Indian system by the
3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project), a global body for coordinating
mobile telephony standards.
The specifications will be available in March 2020 and the Telecommunications
Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI) has said it would adopt them as a
national standard.
The implication is that 4G and 5G devices with NavIC capability can use assisted-
NavIC solution in place of, or in addition to, other constellations.
GEMINI system to aid fishermen

Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Disaster Management

Post date
October 10, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : GEMINI System

Mains level : Tropical Cyclones in India and thier aftermath

To avoid communication blackouts that led to 20 fishermen going missing in the

aftermath of Cyclone Okchi in 2017, a slew of government departments, research
agencies and private companies have developed GEMINI.
GEMINI

GEMINI is a portable receiver linked to ISRO-satellites, that is “fail-proof” and

warn fishermen of danger.
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a Hyderabad
institute collaborated with Accord, a private company, to develop a box-shaped
receiver.
It has an antenna and in-built battery that can last three to four days, according
to a brochure describing the device.
GEMINI works on GAGAN developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India and is
an India-made global positioning system and relies on the positioning system by
ISRO’s GSAT satellites.
Why need GEMINI?

The satellite-based communication is the only suitable solution for the

dissemination of such emergency information.
And affordable satellite based communication system should be made part of the
dissemination chain to deal with cyclones, high waves and tsunamis.
App interface

When GEMINI is connected to an app, it also lets fishermen know the probability of
fish-catch in the surrounding seas.
Even now it provides services such as storm alerts and advisories of potential
fish-catch however it’s dependent on the mobile services provided.
Utility of the device

With this device, fishermen outside the signal range of their phone companies can
also access warnings and alerts.
Mobile phone frequencies cannot be accessed 10-12 km beyond the coast and with
GEMINI this range can increase to 300 nautical miles.
Limitations

The device allows only one-way communication — it can’t be used by fishermen to

make calls, for instance.
At ₹9,000 a device, it’s also relatively expensive for the average fisherman, say
officials, but attempts are on to subsidise it by as much as 90%.
The device could be more easily accessible to India’s 900,000 fishermen if the
chips powering mobile phones were able to receive signals from the GAGAN system.
Geotail

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
October 7, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Geotail, Chandrayaan 2

Mains level : Accomplishments of Chandrayaan2 mission

Recently on board with Chandrayaan-2 mission, an instrument called CLASS, designed

to detect signatures of elements in the Moon’s soil, had detected charged particles
during the mission.
This happened in September, during the orbiter’s passage through the “geotail”.
Geotail

The geotail is a region in space that allows the best observations.

The region exists as a result of the interactions between the Sun and Earth.
The Sun emits the solar wind, which is a continuous stream of charged particles.
These particles are embedded in the extended magnetic field of the Sun.
Since the Earth has a magnetic field, it obstructs the solar wind plasma.
This interaction results in the formation of a magnetic envelope around Earth.
On the Earth side facing the Sun, the envelope is compressed into a region that is
approximately three to four times the Earth radius.
On the opposite side, the envelope is stretched into a long tail, which extends
beyond the orbit of the Moon. It is this tail that is called the geotail.
About CLASS

CLASS stands for Chandrayaan 2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer.

For the CLASS instrument seeking to detect element signatures, the lunar soil can
be best observed when a solar flare provides a rich source of X-rays to illuminate
the surface.
Secondary X-ray emission resulting from this can be detected by CLASS to directly
detect the presence of key elements like Na, Ca, Al, Si, Ti and Fe.
Project NETRA

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 27, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Project NETRA

Mains level : Need for ensuring Space situational awareness (SSA)

ISRO has initiated ‘Project NETRA’ – an early warning system in space to detect
debris and other hazards to Indian satellites.
Project NETRA (Network for space object Tracking and Analysis)

The project will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA)
like the other space powers — which is used to ‘predict’ threats from debris to
Indian satellites.
NETRA’s eventual goal is to capture the GEO, or geostationary orbit, scene at
36,000 km where communication satellites operate.
The space agency says our SSA will first be for low-earth orbits or LEO which have
remote-sensing spacecraft.
Under NETRA the ISRO plans to put up many observational facilities: connected
radars, telescopes; data processing units and a control centre.
They can, among others, spot, track and catalogue objects as small as 10 cm, up to
a range of 3,400 km and equal to a space orbit of around 2,000 km.
The NETRA effort would make India a part of international efforts towards tracking,
warning about and mitigating space debris.
What NETRA consists of?

In the plans are a high-precision, long range telescope in Leh and a radar in the
North East.
Along with them, we will also use the Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) that we
have put up at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and the telescopes at
Ponmudi and Mount Abu to get a broad SSA picture.
NORAD, or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is an initiative of the
U.S. and Canada that shares selective debris data with many countries.
The new SSA centre would consolidate debris tracking activities that are now spread
across ISRO centres.
Currently there are 15 functional Indian communication satellites in the
geostationary orbit of 36,000 km; 13 remote sensing satellites in LEO of up to
2,000 km; and eight navigation satellites in medium earth orbits.
Why Space debris matters?

Space debris could be floating particles from dead satellites or rocket parts that
stay in orbit for many years.
Satellite agencies worry over even a speck of paint or fragment floating towards
their spacecraft: it disables on board electronics and cripples the satellite worth
several hundred crore rupees.
Agencies constantly look for debris at the time of a launch and through the life of
a satellite.
Enhancing Space situational awareness (SSA)

India, as a responsible space power, should have SSA as a part of a national

capability, as in the U.S. This is a vital requirement for protecting our space
assets and a force multiplier.
The SSA has a military quotient to it and adds a new ring to the country’s overall
security.
It uses satellites, ground and air radars to secure its two countries against
attacks from air, space or sea.
With long-range tracking radars, the SSA also provides us the capability of an
early warning system against ballistic missiles coming in at a height.
Apart from radars and telescopes, he said India should also think of deploying
satellites that track other satellites — as the U.S. and other space powers had
done.
Combined with other elements of military intelligence SSA would help us to
understand motives behind any suspicious orbit changes of other satellites and to
know if they were spying on or harming our spacecraft.
Methane-powered Rocket Engine

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 25, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Methane-powered Rocket Engine

Mains level : Benefits of methane as a cryogenic fuel

ISRO is planning to develop methane-powered rocket engines.

LOX methane engines

The space agency is developing two ‘LOx methane’ engines (liquid oxygen oxidiser
and methane fuel) engines.
One of the two projects is trying to convert the existing cryogenic engine, which
uses liquid hydrogen for fuel, into a LOx methane engine.
The other is a smaller engine of 3 tonnes thrust, which will feature an electric
motor.
These are being developed at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Trivandrum.
Presently used fuel

ISRO currently prefers to use a fuel called Unsymmetrical Di-Methyl Hydrazine,

along with Nitrogen tetroxide for oxidizer, in its liquid fuel (Vikas) engines,
which are used in the lower stages of its rockets, PSLV and GSLV.
Why methane?

Di-Methyl Hydrazine like all hydrazine-based fuels, is said to be highly toxic and
cancer-causing.
Globally, governments are keen on banning hydrazine.
Besides, methane beats hydrazine on every other count.
Apart from being non-toxic, it has a higher specific impulse which means one kg of
the gas can life one kg of mass for a longer time.
Methane, which can be synthesized with water and carbon dioxide in space, is often
described as the space fuel of the future.
It is easy to store, does not leave a residue upon burning, less bulky, and,
importantly, can be synthesized up in space.
Methane vs. DMH

Methane-fired engines need an igniter to start the fire.

Hydrazine fuels are hypergolic, which means they start burning on their own upon
coming in contact with oxygen.
Development in India

Mumbai-based start-up Manastu Space is developing a propulsion system that will use
Hydrogen peroxide as fuel.
Currently, Manastu’s engines are meant for steering satellites in orbit but they
can be scaled up to power launch vehicles.
According to the company, the space industry started with Hydrogen peroxide, but
moved to a ‘better’ hydrazine.
But Manastu has developed a chemical additive, which it is trying to patent — the
additive will enable Hydrogen peroxide to elbow hydrazine out of the competition.
[op-ed snap] ISRO’s Moon mission presents India a chance to reassess its space
priorities

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 11, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Nothing much

Mains level : Space industry and the future goals

CONTEXT

Vikram lander appears to have made a hard-landing because of which ISRO is not able
to establish any contact so far.

Past experience

There have been occasions in the past when declared “dead” satellites/space probes
have suddenly come alive. NASA’s IMAGE satellite launched in early 2000 stopped
transmitting in late 2005 and was declared dead. NASA declared this satellite alive
again in 2018.

ISRO – What lies ahead

With various successes in the domain of space, ISRO has raised the stature of the
country internationally.
India should make an assessment of the technical resources and expertise available
with ISRO to carry forward a major space programme.
It is important to factor in the nature of the private space industry to support a
space programme of this size.
International collaborations have become an important element in the present times.
Going to the Moon and Mars is important for multiple reasons, including the quest
for minerals and energy security (Helium 3).
India should avoid getting swayed by the “Space Race”.
Space should emerge as an important constituent of foreign policy. Missions to the
Moon and Mars offer India opportunities for bilateral or multilateral
collaboration. Such collaborations could allow technology sharing and they could
also prove to be more cost-effective and time-saving.
India needs to make more investments in its strategic programme: Efforts made to
conduct an ASAT (anti-satellite test) should be capitalised upon. Today, the armed
forces require many more satellites for various purposes. There is a need to evolve
a separate agency for this purpose.
CONCLUSION

Investments in this domain should be done only for social reasons, for science and
for security. If India has to emerge as a space power, then it should be via a
combination of soft and hard power. Missions like the ones to the Moon offer such
opportunities.
Chandrayaan-2 Mission

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
September 7, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayan 2

Mains level : Significance of the Mission

The Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-2 failed to make a smooth soft-landing, unable
to bring down its speed to the required level.
The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were supposed to land on the moon and carry out
observations and experiments for 14 days.
Why it was difficult?

The polar regions of the moon are a very different, and difficult, terrain.
Many parts lie in a completely dark region where sunlight never reaches, and
temperatures can go below 230 degree Celsius.
Lack of sunlight and extreme low temperatures create difficulty in operation of
instruments.
In addition, there are large craters all over the place, ranging from a few cm in
size to those extending to several thousands of kilometres.
About the Chandrayaan Mission

Mitra Crater

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 27, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Mitra crater

Mains level : Not Much

Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter or mother spacecraft has zeroed in on a crater on the moon

named after 20th century’s.
Mitra Crater

Mitra is a lunar impact crater that is attached to the western outer rim of the
larger crater Mach, on the far side of the Moon.
It is named after Sisir Kumar Mitra (1890-1963). He also lends his name to the S.
K. Mitra Centre for Research in Space Environment of the University of Calcutta.
This is a heavily eroded formation with an outer rim that has been damaged by
subsequent impacts.
The pictures were taken by the Terrain Mapping Camera-2 at the north pole of moon.
At 25 degrees Kelvin (minus 248 degrees Celsius), the northern polar region is
believed to be one of the coldest spots in the solar system.
Lunar nomenclature
The first attempts at naming lunar craters date back to the 17th century, K B
Shingareva and G A Burba write in their book The Lunar Nomenclature: The Reverse
Side of the Moon, 1961-1973.
Some used the names of prominent personalities — scientists, philosophers and even
members of royalty — while others named the lunar features after comparable
features on Earth.
In a resolution by the International Astronomical Union in 1973, crater and crater-
like formations are given the names of astronomers or eminent scientists ,
posthumously.
Among other lunar features, mountains are given names corresponding to the
geographical names of mountains of the Earth, while extensive dark surfaces are
given names that correspond to the mental states of humans.
New ISRO system to shield its assets from space debris

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 5, 2019
Post date
The Times Of India
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NORAD

Mains level : ASAT mission and associated issues

Space Situational Awareness and Management

To get accurate data about the movement of space debris to avoid collision with its
satellites, ISRO has decided to set up telescopes and radars in four corners of the
country.
The network will be set up under the Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and
Management.
The directorate would monitor inactive satellites, pieces of orbiting objects,
near-earth asteroids and adverse space weather conditions.
Currently ISRO has 50 functional satellites, including communication, navigation
and surveillance satellites, in space.
Why such development?

Till now, ISRO was dependent on NORAD (North America Aerospace Defense Command)
data, which is available in public domain, for keeping track of space debris and
monitoring our active and passive (dead) satellites.
However, this global data is not accurate.
NORAD also keeps accurate data, which is exclusively available to those that are
members of its network. Therefore, ISRO can’t access this data.
What have been planned for this?

ISRO’s sophisticated multi-object tracking radar installed in Nellore (90km from

Sriharikota) will be part of this project.
It will also set up a telescope in Ponmudi (Thiruvananthapuram) and second one in
Mount Abu (Rajasthan) and third one in deep north.
ISRO will also install radar in the northeast.
Once this network is operational, India will be able to get accurate data on space
debris and will also become part of the global network where India can access very
accurate data on debris from hundreds of radars set up across the world.
[pib] ISRO Technical Liaison Unit
Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
August 2, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : ITLU

Mains level : International collaboration for ISRO missions

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved the setting up of ISRO Technical
Liaison Unit (ITLU) at Moscow, Russia.
Background

Department of Space has instituted technical Liaison Units, namely ISRO Technical
Liaison Units (ITLU) at Washington, USA and Paris, France.
The prime objective of ITLU is to liaise with various Government and space agencies
in USA and Europe, respectively.
Space cooperation has been one of the major links between India and Russia almost
from the beginning of the space era and currently both sides are actively pursuing
interactions in diversified areas of space programme.
Apart from intensifying cooperation with Russia, India has expanded its space
cooperation with countries near to Russia.
ITLU at Moscow

The ITLU at Moscow will enable effective technical coordination for timely
interventions on diversified matters with Russia and neighbouring countries for
realization of the programmatic targets of ISRO.
The Liaison Officer, deputed at ITLU from ISRO provides technical information about
the developments in research and technology to government agencies and industries
in the respective countries.
They also support the ongoing bilateral programmes of cooperation in space
technology and act on behalf of ISRO on the matters referred.
The ITLU Moscow office would be managed by an ISRO Scientist/Engineer designated as
“Counsellor (Space)” on deputation, deputed from ISRO and supported by a staff
locally sourced.
The process is planned to be completed within six months from the date of approval.
Benefits

ISRO will be able to collaborate with Space agencies/industries in Russia and

neighbouring countries for mutually synergetic outcomes.
ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme requires development of some of the key technologies and
establishment of specialized facilities, which are essential to support life in
space.
For ambitious missions like Gaganyaan it is prudent to avail technical cooperation
from International space agencies, who have already demonstrated their technical
capabilities in specific areas.
Russia, being one of the space faring nations, it is envisaged to collaborate with
Russia extensively in various fields of relevance.
Successful Launch of Chandrayaan-2

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
July 23, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayan 2

Mains level : India's moon mission

The 640-tonne GSLV Mk-III rocket successfully injected the 3,850-kg Chandrayaan-2
composite module into the Earth’s orbit.
With the successful launch all eyes are now on September 7 when the lander and
rover modules of the spacecraft will make a soft landing on the surface of the
moon.
Chandrayaan-2: India’s first lander mission

Chandrayaan-2 consists of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

scientific instruments to study the moon.
The Orbiter would once again watch the moon from a 100-km orbit, while the Lander
and Rover modules will separate and make a soft-landing on moon’s surface.
ISRO has named the Lander module as Vikram, after Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of
India’s space programme, and the Rover module as Pragyaan, meaning wisdom.
Once on the moon, the rover, a six-wheeled solar-powered vehicle, will detach
itself from the lander, and would slowly crawl on the surface, making observations
and collecting data.
Tasks to be accomplished

The mission will be equipped with two instruments, and its primary objective would
be to study the composition of the moon’s surface near the landing site, and
determine its abundance of different elements.
One of the instruments will also look out for seismic activity on lunar surface.
While the lander and rover are designed to work for only 14 days (1 lunar day), the
Orbiter, a 2379-kg spacecraft with seven instruments on board, would remain in
orbit for a year.
It is equipped with different kinds of cameras to take high-resolution 3D maps of
the surface.
It also has instruments to study the mineral composition on the moon and the lunar
atmosphere, and also to assess the abundance of water.
Chandrayaan-2 to enter uncharted territory

With Chandrayaan-2, India will become only the fourth country in the world to land
a spacecraft on the moon.
So far, all landings, human as well as non-human, on the moon have been in areas
close to its equator.
That was mainly because this area receives more sunlight that is required by the
solar-powered instruments to function.
Earlier this year, in January, China landed a lander and rover on the far side of
the moon, the side that is not facing the earth. This was the first time that any
landing had taken place on that side.
What differentiates Chandrayaan 2 with others?

Chandrayaan-2 will make a landing at a site where no earlier mission has gone, near
the South pole of the moon.
It is a completely unexplored territory and therefore offers great scientific
opportunity for the mission to see and discover something new.
Incidentally, the crash-landing of the MIP from the Chandrayaan-1 mission had also
happened in the same region.
The south pole of the moon holds the possibility of the presence of water, and this
is one aspect that would be probed meticulously by Chandrayaan-2.
In addition, this area is also supposed to have ancient rocks and craters that can
offer indications of history of moon, and also contain clues to the fossil records
of early solar system.
[op-ed snap] Soaring to the moon

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
July 23, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayaan

Mains level : Chandrayaan 2 mission

CONTEXT

A decade after the first successful mission to the moon with Chandrayaan-1, the
Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched its sequel, Chandrayaan-2,
to further explore the earth’s natural satellite.

Moon exploration

Earlier this year, China landed a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the moon,
in a first-ever attempt.
Now India is attempting a similar feat — to land its rover Pragyan in the moon’s
South Polar region, attempted so far by none.
The equatorial region has been the only one where rovers have landed and explored.
Significance of launch

The launch by itself is a huge achievement considering that it is the first

operational flight of the indigenously developed Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mark-III) to send up satellites weighing up to four tonnes
The orbiter, the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan) together weigh 3.87
tonnes.
Having reached the earth parking orbit, the orbit of the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft
will be raised in five steps or manoeuvres in the coming 23 days before it reaches
the final orbit of 150 x 1,41,000 km.
It is in this orbit that Chandrayaan-2 will attain the velocity to escape from the
earth’s gravitational pull and start the long journey towards the moon.
A week later, on August 20, the spacecraft will come under the influence of the
moon’s gravitational pull, and in a series of steps the altitude of the orbit will
be reduced in 13 days to reach the final circular orbit at a height of 100 km.
The next crucial step will be the decoupling of the lander (Vikram) and the rover
(Pragyan) from the orbiter, followed by the soft-landing of the lander-rover in the
early hours of September 7.
Despite the postponement of the launch from July 16 owing to a technical snag, the
tweaked flight plan has ensured that the Pragyan robotic vehicle will have 14 earth
days, or one moon day, to explore.
Innovation
Unlike the crash-landing of the Moon Impact Probe on the Chandrayaan-1 mission in
November 2008, this will be the first time that ISRO is attempting to soft-land a
lander on the earth’s natural satellite.
A series of braking mechanisms will be needed to drastically reduce the velocity of
the Vikram lander from nearly 6,000 km an hour, to ensure that the touchdown is
soft.
Aims of mission

The presence of water on the moon was first indicated by the Moon Impact Probe and
NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper on Chandrayaan-1 a decade ago. The imaging infrared
spectrometer instrument on board the orbiter will enable ISRO to look for
signatures indicating the presence of water.
Though the Terrain Mapping Camera on board Chandrayaan-1 had mapped the moon three-
dimensionally at 5-km resolution, Chandrayaan-2 too has such a camera to produce a
3-D map.
But it will be for the first time that the vertical temperature gradient and
thermal conductivity of the lunar surface, and lunar seismicity, will be studied.
Conclusion

While ISRO gained much with the success of Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan, the
success of Chandrayaan-2 will go a long way in testing the technologies for deep-
space missions.
Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
July 18, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NAVIC, GPS

Mains level : Utility of NAVIC

The navigation system that Indians use on their mobile phones and cars could be set
for a reboot.
It has been reported that ISRO is in talks with processing chip manufacturers such
as Qualcomm to substitute the existing Global Positioning System (GPS) with the
Indian version of satellite navigation.
What is NavIC?

NavIC is an independent Indian satellite-based positioning system for critical

national applications.
India got its system with the launch of the IRNSS 1-G satellite, is the seventh
member of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in November
2017.
It consists of a constellation of seven satellites, three of which are in a
geostationary orbit and four in a geosynchronous orbit.
The IRNSS can provide Standard Positioning Service (SPS) to all users, and an
encrypted Restricted Service (RS) to authorised users.
It has position accuracy better than 20 metres in the primary service area.
Its purpose is to provide reliable position, navigation and timing services over
India and neighbourhood.
What is the service coverage?
The regional navigation satellite system can provide accurate position information
service to users in India and the region, extending up to 1,500 km from its
boundary, which is its Primary Service Area.
Beyond that lies an Extended Service Area, that can extend up to the edges of the
area enclosed by the rectangle imagined by latitudes 30 degrees South and 50
degrees North, and longitudes 30 degrees East and 130 degrees East.
Is India the only country to have its positioning system?

The GPS is a satellite-based radio navigation system that is owned by the United
States government and operated by the United States Air Force.
Apart from GPS, there is GLONASS of Russia, Galileo of the European Union and
BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (or BDS) of China.
[op-ed of the day] Expanding India’s share in global space economy

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
July 5, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Missions of ISRO

Mains level : How to increase share of ISRO in international space sector

Note- Op-ed of the day is the most important editorial of the day. Aspirants should
try to cover at least this editorial on a daily basis to have command over most
important issues in news. It will help in enhancing and enriching the content in
mains answers. Please do not miss this at any cost.

CONTEXT

From a modest beginning in the 1960s, India’s space programme has grown steadily,
achieving significant milestones. These include fabrication of satellites, space-
launch vehicles, and a range of associated capabilities.
The draft Space Activities Bill introduced in 2017 has lapsed and the government
now has an opportunity to give priority to a new Bill that can be welcomed by the
private sector, both the larger players and the start-ups alike.
ISRO’s thrust areas

1.Satellite communication –

The first area was of satellite communication, with INSAT and GSAT as the
backbones, to address the national needs for telecommunication, broadcasting and
broadband infrastructure.
About 200 transponders on Indian satellites provide services linked to areas like
telecommunication, telemedicine, television, broadband, radio, disaster management
and search and rescue services.
2. Earth observation
A second area of focus was earth observation and using space-based imagery for a
slew of national demands, ranging from weather forecasting, disaster management and
national resource mapping and planning.
These resources cover agriculture and watershed, land resource, and forestry
managements.
With higher resolution and precise positioning, Geographical Information Systems’
applications today cover all aspects of rural and urban development and planning.
Beginning with the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) series in the 1980s, today the
RISAT, Cartosat and Resourcesat series provide wide-field and multi-spectral high
resolution data for land, ocean and atmospheric observations.
3.Navigation

The GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation (GAGAN), a joint project between ISRO and
Airports Authority of India, augmented the GPS coverage of the region, improving
the accuracy and integrity, primarily for civil aviation applications and better
air traffic management over Indian airspace.
This was followed up with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS),
a system based on seven satellites in geostationary and geosynchronous orbits.
It provides accurate positioning service, covering a region extending to 1,500 km
beyond Indian borders, with an accuracy greater than 20 metres; higher accuracy
positioning is available to the security agencies for their use.
In 2016, the system was renamed NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation).
4. Space science and exploration missions

With growing confidence, ISRO has also started to undertake more ambitious space
science and exploration missions.
The most notable of these have been the Chandrayaan and the Mangalyaan missions,
with a manned space mission, Gaganyaan, planned for its first test flight in 2021.
5. Launch-vehicle technology

Beginning with the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and the Augmented Satellite
Launch Vehicle (ASLV), ISRO has developed and refined the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) as its workhorse for placing satellites in low earth and sun
synchronous orbits.
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) programme is still developing
with its MkIII variant, having undertaken three missions, and is capable of
carrying a 3.5 MT payload into a geostationary orbit.
Share in international space market

Today, the value of the global space industry is estimated to be $350 billion and
is likely to exceed $550 billion by 2025.
Despite ISRO’s impressive capabilities, India’s share is estimated at $7 billion
(just 2% of the global market) covering broadband and Direct-to-Home television
(accounting for two-thirds of the share), satellite imagery and navigation.
Already, over a third of transponders used for Indian services are leased from
foreign satellites and this proportion will rise as the demand grows.
New Space

Developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analytics has led to the
emergence of ‘New Space’ — a disruptive dynamic based on using end-to-end
efficiency concepts.
A parallel is how the independent app developers, given access to the Android and
Apple platforms, revolutionised smartphone usage.
New Space entrepreneurship has emerged in India with about two dozen start-ups who
are not enamoured of the traditional vendor/supplier model but see value in
exploring end-to-end services in the Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer
segments.
‘New Space’ start-ups

The New Space start-ups discern a synergy with government’s flagship programmes
like Digital India, Start-Up India, Skill India and schemes like Smart Cities
Mission.
They see a role as a data-app builder between the data seller (ISRO/Antrix) and the
end user, taking advantage of the talent pool, innovation competence and technology
know-how.
They need an enabling ecosystem, a culture of accelerators, incubators, Venture
Capitalists and mentors that exists in cities like Bengaluru which is where most
New Space start-ups have mushroomed.
Small Satelite revolution

Globally, 17,000 small satellites are expected to be launched between now and
2030. ISRO is developing a small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) expected to be
ready in 2019.
It is a prime candidate, along with the proven PSLV, to be farmed out to the
private sector. This requires giving it responsibility for AIT activities.
Rural area revolution –

Years ago, ISRO launched the idea of Village Resource Centres to work in
collaboration with local panchayats and NGOs but only 460 pilots have begun.
Expanding this for rural areas is a formidable challenge but has the potential to
transform rural India if properly conceived as a part of the India Stack and the
Jan Dhan Yojana.
Conclusion

With the Ministry of Defence now setting up a Defence Space Agency and a Defence
Space Research Organisation, ISRO should actively embrace an exclusively civilian
identity. A new Space law for India should aim at facilitating growing India’s
share of global space economy to 10% within a decade which requires a new kind of
partnership between ISRO, the established private sector and the New Space
entrepreneurs.
[op-ed snap] What it would take for India to become a proper space power

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
June 28, 2019
Post date
Live Mint
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Defence Space Agency (DSA)

Mains level : India's quest for security amidst clouds of space war

Cold war is under way for hegemony in Space

The Govt. has recently decided to set up Defence Space Agency (DSA) with command
over the space assets of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
This is the most significant development in India’s defence establishment since the
operationalization of the nuclear arsenal around 15 years ago.
It is not Star Wars yet, but space has undoubtedly become a military theatre.
The US, Russia, China and, since March, India, have shown that they have the
capability to physically destroy satellites in orbit.
Like it or not, the post-Cold War space arms race is underway.
India’s is the bottom-up approach

It is important to recall that India has taken an exceptional route took to get
here.
The US, Russia, China and Europe developed space capabilities for military purposes
first, and then put those technologies to civilian use.
Barring Europe’s Ariane rockets, their extant satellite launch vehicles are derived
from their respective intercontinental ballistic missile designs.
India’s space quest, on the other hand, was focused on civilian use—weather
forecasting, broadcast, telecommunications and remote sensing.
It was only in the mid-1980s that technology from the ISRO’s Satellite Launch
Vehicle-3 was employed in the Agni ballistic missile.
We are the last in race

When it comes to satellites, India has a handful of military satellites in

operation, compared to over 40 civilian ones.
Our first dedicated military satellite was launched only in 2013.
Just like India was late to militarize space, it has been late to weaponize it.
That’s not a bad thing, but in the changed circumstances of the 21st century, it is
time to rethink our approach.
Then what should be India’s objectives in this new game?

India’s unstated space doctrine is to use space to promote development and the
well-being and prosperity of its people.
However the need of hour is to include the word “security” in that sentence.
In doing so, the policy goal will change from having a space presence to being a
space power.
What does it mean to be a space power?

Colin Gray, one of the world’s most respected scholars of strategy, says that it is
“the ability to use space while denying reliable use to any foe”.
India already has significant ability to use space. But our ability to deny its use
to an adversary is, understandably, negligible.
March’s anti-satellite (A-SAT) test is the first visible sign that India is on the
road to acquire counter-space capability.
The newly instituted DSA will be supported by a defence space research organization
(DSRO) that should create weapons to “deny, degrade, disrupt, destroy or deceive an
adversary’s space capability”.
Challenges ahead for India

At this stage of the space game, the DSA will need to consider taking up four
challenges as under:

I. Strengthening anti-space weapon capability

First, India must protect and secure two kinds of space assets—those that belong to
us and those that are crucial to our economy and national security.
While satellites are usually hardened to weather the harsh extremes of the space
environment, in older designs, protection against space weapons might not have been
considered.
Future designs must certainly factor in the risk of attack by hostile forces.
II. Tracking space enemies

Second, in order to effectively defend our space assets, India must have the most
reliable and accurate capabilities to track space objects, from debris and
spacecraft to celestial bodies.
Since accurate tracking forms the basis of almost every conceivable action that we
might undertake—including the all-important ability to target at will—this crucial
capability must be developed indigenously.
III. Ensuring a credible offensive capacity

Third, for space defence to be effective, India must acquire a minimum, credible
offensive capacity across the various types of space weapons, physical, electronic
and cyber.
The “minimum” is to ensure that we do not get overly drawn into an arms race, while
ensuring that we have what it takes to deter attacks on our space assets.
As India has demonstrated in the nuclear sphere, such a posture is wise, possible
and works.
Credibility demands that both partners and adversaries are persuaded that we have
the capacity, so occasional demonstrations become necessary.
IV. Technological perfection

Finally, our broader space policy must acquire a new seriousness in improving
launch capabilities and spacecraft design.
The ability to place large satellites in geostationary orbits should become highly
reliable.
ISRO’s budgets must be enlarged, of course, but just as importantly, private
entrants encouraged in everything from launches to specialized payloads.
Like the US, China has recognized that the creative energies of private
entrepreneurs can bolster its space power.
Conclusion

Five centuries ago, a few small European countries acquired global power and
domination by investing in well-armed blue-water navies.
On the subcontinent, the mighty Mughal empire—larger and perhaps militarily more
powerful than most of them—settled for a coastal force performing constabulary
duties.
The failure to appreciate how much the game had changed, and how best to equip for
it, proved very expensive in the long run. Let us not forget that lesson.
Back2Basics

[pib] New Space India Limited (NSIL)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
June 28, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : New Space India Limited (NSIL)

Mains level : Expanding commercial functions of ISRO

New Space India Limited (NSIL) has been incorporated as a wholly owned GoI
Undertaking/Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
Antrix Ltd is another PSU under the Department of Space that acts as an commercial
arm of the ISRO
New Space India Limited (NSIL)

It functions under the administrative control of Department of Space (DOS).

It aims to commercially exploit the research and development work of ISRO Centres
and constituent units of DOS.
The NSIL would enable Indian Industries to scale up high-technology manufacturing
and production base for meeting the growing needs of Indian space programme/
It would further spur the growth of Indian Industries in the space sector.
Functions of NSIL

Small Satellite technology transfer to industry, wherein NSIL will obtain license
from DOS/ISRO and sub-license it to industries;
Manufacture of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in collaboration with Private
Sector;
Production of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through Indian Industry;
Production and marketing of Space based products and services, including launch and
application;
Transfer of technology developed by ISRO Centres and constituent units of DOS;
Marketing spin-off technologies and products/services, both in India and abroad
[pib] Space Activities Bill

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
June 28, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Space Activities Bill

Mains level : Promoting private space activities in India

India has begun prelegislative consultations on a “Space Activities Bill” that is

designed to encourage domestic private rocket and satellite companies to offer
services for Indian and global customers.
About the Space Activities Bill, 2017

The Bill will address the liability issues arising from their space activities, in
a suitable/ rational manner, in line with international practices.
The government first introduced the Bill in 2017.
Key propositions of the Bill

The provisions of this Act shall apply to every citizen of India and to all sectors
engaged in any space activity in India or outside India
A non-transferable licence shall be provided by the Central Government to any
person carrying out commercial space activity
The Central Government will formulate the appropriate mechanism for licensing,
eligibility criteria, and fees for licence.
The government will maintain a register of all space objects (any object launched
or intended to be launched around the earth) and develop more space activity plans
for the country
It will provide professional and technical support for commercial space activity
and regulate the procedures for conduct and operation of space activity
It will ensure safety requirements and supervise the conduct of every space
activity of India and investigate any incident or accident in connection with the
operation of a space activity.
It will share details about the pricing of products created by space activity and
technology with any person or any agency in a prescribed manner.
If any person undertakes any commercial space activity without authorisation they
shall be punished with imprisonment up to 3 years or fined more than ₹1 crore or
both.
Why reconsider the Bill?

The current space policy does not cover liabilities for damage to third party space
assets although the country is a signatory to the UN Treaties on Outer Space
activity.
The Bill will help formulate necessary rules under the Space Activities Act to deal
with damages under the liability provisions and the mode of securing financial
guarantee to compensate for damages.
This bill would address a long-pending concern on covering liabilities in the event
of a mishap or damage to spacecraft.
For tapping global opportunities
India’s PSLV has emerged as the preferred rocket to hurl small satellites globally.
India is also working on a small satellite launch vehicle that is designed to tap
the global opportunity to carry satellites of less than 50 kg into space.
The US, France and the EU have legislations that underwrite costs of damage if it
exceeds insurance when a private satellite launch goes awry or a rocket hits
another object in space.
With inputs from: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/the-hindu-explains-
what-is-the-space-activities-bill-2017/article20680984.ece
ISRO plans to launch a space station

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
June 15, 2019
Post date
Down to Earth
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : International Space Station

Mains level : Utility of space stations

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to launch its own space
station.
The Indian Space Station

A space station is an artificial satellite placed in orbit and is used as a long-

term base for manned operations in space.
The Indian space station would be stationed at an altitude of 400 kilometres from
Earth.
The proposed Indian space station would be similar to the International Space
Station (ISS) but smaller in size weighing about 20 tonnes and would take another 5
to 7 seven years to construct.
India would be the fourth country to launch a space station as the US and Russia
has already launched their space stations and China is planning to launch its in
2020.
About the ISS

The International Space Station, which launched its first piece in 1998, is a large
spacecraft which orbits around the Earth and is home to the astronauts.
The ISS is currently the only active space station in the earth’s orbit.
The first crew on the space station arrived on November 2, 2000.
The space station is home to minimum of six astronauts, with two bathrooms, a
gymnasium, and a big bay window.
It is a joint project between five participating space agencies -NASA (USA),
Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
Chandrayaan-2 Mission

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
June 14, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Chandrayan 1, 2

Mains level : Prospects of the ISRO mission

The ISRO will finally launch the much-awaited Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon.
The mission will be launched on July 15, and its lander and rover will touch down
on the moon’s surface either on September 5 or 6.
Background

The Chandrayaan-2 mission has taken a long way coming, considering that its
predecessor, Chandrayaan-1, an Orbiter mission, had been sent way back in 2008.
According to the original schedule, Chandrayaan-2 was to be launched in 2012 itself
in a collaborative mission with the Russian space agency, Roskosmos, which was to
provide the lander module.
The Russians, however, withdrew from the missions after their similarly-designed
lander for another mission developed problems in 2011.
That left ISRO to design, develop and build the lander on its own, something it has
not done earlier, which has led to considerable delay from the original schedule.
A sequel to Chandrayaan-1

The Chandrayaan-1 mission which was launched in October 2008 was ISRO’s first
exploratory mission to the moon, in fact to any heavenly body in the space.
That mission was designed to just orbit around the moon and make observations with
the help of the instruments on board.
The closest that Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft came to the moon was in an orbit 100 km
from its surface.
Chandrayaan-2 is a logical progression on Chandrayaan-1. It is a more sophisticated
mission designed to pack in a whole lot of science.
The Moon Impact Probe

For largely symbolic reasons, though, the Chandrayaan-1 mission did make one of its
instruments, called Moon Impact Probe, or MIP.
It was a 35-kg cube-shaped module with the Indian tricolour on all its sides, to
crash-land on the moon’s surface.
ISRO claims that while on its way, MIP had sent data that showed evidence for the
presence of water on the moon.
Unfortunately, those findings could not be published because of anomalies in
calibration of the data.
The confirmation for water had come through another onboard instrument, the M3 or
Moon Mineralogy Mapper that had been put by NASA.
Chandrayaan-2: India’s first lander mission

Chandrayaan-2 consists of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

The mission will be equipped with two instruments, and its primary objective would
be to study the composition of the moon’s surface near the landing site, and
determine its abundance of different elements.
The 1471-kg lander, which will remain stationary after touching down, will carry
three instruments that will mainly study the moon’s atmosphere.
One of the instruments will also look out for seismic activity on lunar surface.
While the lander and rover are designed to work for only 14 days (1 lunar day), the
Orbiter, a 2379-kg spacecraft with seven instruments on board, would remain in
orbit for a year.
It is equipped with different kinds of cameras to take high-resolution 3D maps of
the surface.
It also has instruments to study the mineral composition on the moon and the lunar
atmosphere, and also to assess the abundance of water.
Chandrayaan-2 to enter uncharted territory

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
May 25, 2019
Post date
Business Stan
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

Mains level : Commercial activities by ISRO

NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO was officially inaugurated in
Bengaluru.
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

NSIL’s main objective is to scale up industry participation in Indian space

programmes.
NSIL was incorporated on March 6 2019, for commercially utilising research and
development activities carried out by ISRO in the area of space with an authorised
share capital of Rs 100 crore and initial paid up capital of Rs 10 crore.
NSIL will act as an aggregator for all space related activities in industry and
develop private entrepreneurship in space related technologies.
Services to be provided

Specifically, it will be responsible for manufacturing and production of Small

Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through
technology transfer mechanisms.
It will also cater to emerging global commercial SSLV market demand, providing
satellite building and satellite-based services.
Its services will include supply of sub-systems for various domestic and
international application needs and will enable space technology spin-offs through
Indian industry interface.
It will enable space technology spin-offs via Indian industry interface.
[op-ed snap] Eye in the sky: on RISAT-2B

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
May 23, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : RISAT-2B

Mains level : Benefits of RISAT- 2B

CONTEXT

With the successful pre-dawn launch of RISAT-2B satellite on May 22, the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has added another feather to its cap.

Benefits of RISAT-2B

1. Agriculture, Disaster Management and Forestry –

The satellite will enhance India’s capability in crop monitoring during the monsoon
season, forestry mapping for forest fires and deforestation, and flood mapping as
part of the national disaster management programme.

2. All weather monitoring –

Given that overcast skies are a constant during the monsoon season and during times
of flood, the ability to penetrate the cloud cover is essential.
While optical remote sensing that relies on visible light for imaging gets
obstructed by clouds, RISAT-2B will not. Much like the RISAT-1 satellite that was
launched by ISRO in April 2012, RISAT-2B will also use microwave radiation.
Unlike visible light, microwaves have longer wavelength and so will not be
susceptible to atmospheric scattering.
Microwave radiation can thus easily pass through the cloud cover, haze and dust,
and image the ground.
Hence, RISAT-2B satellite will be able to image under almost all weather and
environmental conditions.
3. No dependence on visible light –

Since it does not rely on visible light for imaging, it will be able to image the
ground during both day and night.
The satellite does not have passive microwave sensors that detect the radiation
naturally emitted by the atmosphere or reflected by objects on the ground.
Instead, RISAT-2B will be transmitting hundreds of microwave pulses each second
towards the ground and receiving the signals reflected by the objects using radar.
The moisture and texture of the object will determine the strength of the microwave
signal that gets reflected.
While the strength of the reflected signal will help determine different targets,
the time between the transmitted and reflected signals will help determine the
distance to the object.
4. Study of small objects and surveillance –

The RISAT-2B satellite uses X-band synthetic aperture radar for the first time; the
synthetic aperture radar was developed indigenously.
Unlike the C-band that was used by RISAT-1, the shorter wavelength of the X-band
allows for higher resolution imagery for target identification and discrimination.
Since it has high resolution, the satellite will be able to detect objects with
dimensions of as little as a metre.
This capacity to study small objects and also movement could be useful for
surveillance.
Conclusion

As K. Sivan, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, had said last month,
the satellite could be used for civil and strategic purposes. RISAT-2B will have an
inclined orbit of 37 degrees, which will allow more frequent observations over the
Indian subcontinent. With ISRO planning to launch four more such radar imaging
satellites in a year, its ability to monitor crops and floods as well as engage in
military surveillance will be greatly enhanced.
RISAT-2B: An all-seeing radar imaging satellite

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
May 20, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : RISAT Constellation

Mains level : Utility of the all weather imaging satellite

The PSLV-C46 is set to launch RISAT-2B from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota.
RISAT Constellation

RISAT-2B, short for “Radar Imaging Satellite-2B”, is the second in a series of

satellites used to observe weather conditions on Earth using radar imagery.
RISAT-2 was the first satellite in the series, launched for the purpose of
surveillance. RISAT-1 was launched later, to become India’s first all-weather radar
imaging satellite.
RISAT-2B is to be followed by RISAT-2BR1, 2BR2, RISAT-1A, 1B, 2A and so on.
ISRO orbited its first two radar satellites in 2009 & 2012 and it plans to deploy
four or five of them in 2019 alone.
A constellation of such space-based radars means a comprehensive vigil over the
country.
Once operational, the satellite will be capable of monitoring weather day and
night, in all weather conditions.
About PSLV-C46

The PSLV-C46 mission is ISRO’s 48 PSLV launch, and the 14th PSLV Core-Alone (CA)
mission.
The PSLV was the first of ISRO’s rockets to be equipped with liquid rocket stages.
In the PSLV-CA version, the rocket doesn’t have the six strap-on boosters that
larger rockets do, and only uses the four core stages of the PSLV to launch its
payload.
Utility of this constellation

When it is cloudy or dark, ‘regular’ remote-sensing or optical imaging satellites —

which work like a light-dependent camera — cannot perceive hidden or surreptitious
objects on the ground.
Satellites that are equipped with an active sensor, the synthetic aperture radar
(SAR), can sense or ‘observe’ Earth in a special way from space day and night, rain
or cloud.
This all-weather seeing feature is what makes them special for security forces and
disaster relief agencies.
In India we also use radar imaging for crop estimation because our main crop
growing season of kharif is in May-September when it rains and gets cloudy.
We have used this data extensively for forestry, soil, land use, geology and during
floods and cyclone.
Radar imaging satellites pick up structures, new bunkers very well, and sometimes
help to count them, too.
[op-ed snap] Surveillance wars in space

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
May 8, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : RPO, mission shakti

Mains level : Space defence activities and it's relevance

CONTEXT

Mission Shakti is a giant leap for India, but only a small step in the world of
counter space.Years after Russia, the U.S., and China (referred to here as the Big
Three) made a mark in this area, India too has shown that it can hit back at
enemies attacking from space.

The relevance of mission Shakti

Military experts say that possessing the highly difficult capability to conduct
such a test is important and essential for ensuring national security in space.
Mission Shakti, as it is called, has earned India a place in an exclusive club of
‘space defenders’.
However, a peek into counterspace, the world where such dangerous space activities
are practised covertly by the Big Three, shows that while Mission Shakti is a giant
leap for India, it is only a small step in that world.
Playground for confidential activities

Secret Activities in space – According to academic reports, policymakers and those

tracking the military space, for several years now, the space between 600 km and
36,000 km above the earth has been the playground for such secret activities.
2. Report’s finding – Around the time Mission Shakti took place, the Center for
Strategic and International Studies based in Washington, D.C. and the Secure World
Foundation came out with reports detailing counterspace capabilities that different
countries have today and their sense of threat to space assets.

3. Instances of activities –

The reports document that satellites have been launched to sidle up to other
satellites in the same orbit.
Satellites with robotic arms or handles have touched or nudged their siblings in
orbit.
Mother (or nesting) spacecraft have gone up to ‘deliver’ baby spy satellites in
orbit.
Satellites have sneaked up to high perches to see, overhear and sense all that
happens in space and on the ground.
The intent of such activities –

The intent of being in counterspace is thus surveillance and espionage.

In times of war, the intent could even be to capture or disable a rival’s space
assets in orbit.
Concerns with such activities

Loud concerns have been raised over rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) in
space.
The actor countries neither acknowledge nor discuss such activities and give them
other names.
In an RPO event, one country sends a satellite that clandestinely sits next to one
of its own (or another country’s) orbiting satellites.
The motive could be to inspect and assess the target’s nature, eavesdrop on it, or
even subvert its functions.
The fear is that in extreme cases, the target may even be ‘abducted’ or taken
control of.
Loitering in orbit

Satellites of each of the Big Three has been caught loitering in orbit at different
times, and the victims have cried foul.
In September 2018, French Defence Minister Florence Parly was reported to have
charged that Russian satellite Luch-Olymp was lurking too close to — and spying on
— a Franco-Italian military communications satellite, Athena-Fidus, in 2017, that
is, the previous year.
The U.S. has reportedly had its share of RPOs and other acts.
Countries are also honing non-kinetic, electronics and cyber-based methods to
prevent satellites of other countries from spying on their regions.
Cyber attacks can destroy, steal or distort other satellites or ground stations.
The attacker gains control of the space asset.
Conclusion

“No one will declare that they are pursuing these kind of technologies but all are
doing it, all have to do it, specially major players. In times of war no one is
spared, and a country must be ready with its counter-security tactics.

ISRO plans to launch radar imaging satellite in May

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
May 4, 2019
Post date
The Economic Times
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : RISAT

Mains level : Significance of the RISAT Mission

India is planning to launch its radar imaging satellite RISAT 2BR1 sometime towards
the end of this May on one of the variants of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) rocket.
RISAT 2BR1

The RISAT was first deployed in orbit on April 20, 2009 as the RISAT-2.
It uses synthetic aperture radars (SAR) to provide Indian forces with all-weather
surveillance and observation, which are crucial to notice any potential threat or
malicious activity around the nation’s borders.
Following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the launch of RISAT-2 was prioritized
over RISAT- 1, as its C-band SAR radar was not yet ready and RISAT -2 hence carried
Israeli-built X-band radar.
The to-be-deployed RISAT-2BR1 satellite uses the same SAR band and will further
improve India’s imaging reconnaissance abilities.
The rocket that would carry RISAT 2BR1 is designated as PSLV-C46 as per ISRO’s
numbering system and will blast off from the first launch pad at the country’s
rocket port in Sriharikota.
Following the launch of RISAT 2BR1, ISRO will send up a cartography satellite
Catosat-3.
[op-ed snap] Outer space lessons

| : Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
April 24, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : Gaganyaan

Mains level : Lessons for Gaganyaan from USA's lunar mission

CONTEXT

In furthering its outer space ambitions, India must study the experiences of other
space powers.

Comparison with lunar Mission

As scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) work toward ‘Mission
Gaganyaan’, to send three Indian astronauts into space, one can’t but make
comparisons with the U.S.’s lunar mission in the 1960s.
At the time, U.S. President John F. Kennedy made a public statement about his
administration’s determination to place an American on the moon by the end of that
decade.
The U.S.’s objective, therefore, was to have a definite public-relations edge over
the U.S.S.R. in the space race, which was marked then by intense rivalry between
two Cold War powers
A breakthrough in space was thus a matter of prestige.
In the context of ISRO’s plan, the prestige value of ‘Mission Gaganyaan’ is sky-
high, possibly in the same league as the American National Aeronautics and Space
Administration’s Apollo Mission to the moon.
Lessons From Lunar Mission

1.High Costs –

A key lesson for India from NASA’s lunar mission is that a programme of that scale
and magnitude often comes at a steep cost, monetary and non-monetary.
More than the monetary loss, it is the non-monetary loss that matters more, as it
can lend currency to the idea that such a failure indicates a waste of time and
resources.
2.Hurting the image of the country –

A failed mission deeply hurts the image of the country in the eyes of the outside
world.
It raises doubts about the capability of the nation-state in question.

3. Political Cost –

Politically, a failed mission of such magnitude could give voices in the opposition
an opportunity to level criticism, perhaps weakening the incumbent domestically.
The diplomatic costs arise from the fact that losses in space missions can
seriously impact the future of cooperation between space powers.
For instance, during the Cold War, both the U.S. and the then U.S.S.R. exaggerated
each other’s failures in space missions considerably in order to influence the
overall mood among and inclinations of other nations in their favour.
This was most easily achieved by making the rival look as weak as possible.
Historically, the media played an active role in participating in such an agenda-
driven propaganda.
Conclusion –

Outer space is often referred to as the ‘final frontier’ by major world powers,
with the prize for conquering it being even more greatness on the world stage.
While India’s credentials were bolstered after the successful anti-satellite
mission recently, significant success in ‘Mission Gaganyaan’ might provide India
with that stamp of authority in outer space that it so keenly desires.
For that to happen, the lessons from the experiences of other space powers must be
heeded.
Phase 4 of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
April 15, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : GSLV

Mains level : Isro missions and discoveries

The Union Cabinet has approved ongoing GSLV continuation programme Phase-4
consisting of five GSLV flights during the period 2021-2024.
The will enable the launch of 2 tonne class of satellites for Geo-imaging,
Navigation, Data Relay Communication and Space Sciences.
It will meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency up to two
launches per year, with maximal participation by the Indian industry.
About GSLV

GSLV Continuation Programme was initially sanctioned in 2003, and two phases have
been completed and the third phase is in progress and expected to be completed by
Q4 of 2020-21.
GSLV has enabled independent access to space for 2 tonne class of satellites to
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
One of the significant outcomes of the GSLV Continuation Programme is the mastering
of the highly complex cryogenic propulsion technology, which is an essential
technological capability to launch communication satellites to GTO.
This has also paved the way for the development of a high thrust Cryogenic engine &
stage for the next generation launch vehicle i.e. GSLV Mk-lll.
With the recent successful launch of GSLV-F11 on 19th December 2018, GSLV has
successfully orbited 10 national satellites.
GSLV with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage has established itself as a reliable
launch vehicle for communication, navigation and meteorological satellites and also
to undertake future interplanetary missions.
Major impact

The operationalization of GSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching
capability of 2 tonne class of satellites for communication & meteorological
satellites.
It will sustain & strengthen the capability and self-reliance in the launching of
similar satellites for national requirements including next generation navigation
satellites, data relay communication satellites and interplanetary missions.
It will meet the launch requirement of satellites for providing critical Satellite
Navigation Services, Data Relay Communication for supporting the Indian Human
spaceflight programme and the next interplanetary mission to Mars.
This will also ensure the continuity of production in Indian industry.
[op-ed snap] Outer clarity

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Awareness In The Fields Of It, Space,
Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, Bio-Technology, Pharma Sector & Health
Science
Post date
April 5, 2019
Post date
The Hindu
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level : PSLV. ASAT

Mains level : There is a need to regulate outer space and prohibit its
militarisaton.

CONTEXT

India’s Recent Achievements in Space

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s successful April 1 launch of the PSLV-C45
rocket that placed 29 satellites in three different orbits is remarkable both for
the complex set of multi-tasking the mission accomplished and for the timing.
Coming three days after ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation
knocked out a satellite in a Low Earth Orbit with a direct hit.
It would appear that the Indian space programme stands galvanised and poised for a
giant leap.
Past Achievements

The dexterity with which so many satellites, most of them American, were placed in
three different orbits certainly showcases both the reliability and the expertise
that ISRO offers.
This is not a new development.
Cost Effective-In February 2017, the PSLV-C37 placed 104 satellites, 96 of them
from the U.S., in one go, a testimony to ISRO’s ability to launch satellites at a
fraction of the cost that other countries incur.
Equally important, just as the February 2017 launch also placed the fifth of the
Cartosat 2 series in orbit, an earth observation satellite with cameras that have a
resolution of less than a metre, the PSLV-C45 placed EMISAT, which can, among other
things, aid in electronic intelligence.
Need For formulating Space Programme

India is assiduously putting in place a space military architecture.

That is precisely why the government should articulate much more clearly the
doctrinal aspects of the space programme, as well as the deterrence sought to be
achieved by it.
India must communicate its peaceful intentions just as it showcases its
capabilities, so as to contribute to a better understanding among countries it
hopes to deter and thereby reduce the chances of wrong inferences being drawn in
crisis situations.
After all, missiles are but one aspect of space warfare.
There are other, less visible but equally effective methods to incapacitate
satellites that are being developed and are of equally serious concern.
Present global space architecture

There is no global regulatory regime to address the growing militarisation in

space.
Last year, at the UN Disarmament Commission, India expressed concern about the
“weaponisation” of outer space, and sought collective action to secure space-based
assets.
In this regulatory vacuum, India has legitimate reasons to develop deterrence for
the security of its space-based assets.
Way Forward

Equally, New Delhi must take a bigger lead in forging a global and legally binding
instrument to prevent militarisation of space.
It is encouraging that after the ASAT test, India said it “expects to play a role
in the future in the drafting of international law on prevention of an arms race in
space”.
This is morally and pragmatically in keeping with India’s power projection.
Given the prohibitively expensive nature of space projects, India and other
countries must utilise the increased presence in space to legitimately advance the
well-being of their people.

[op-ed snap] Power in space: on Mission Shakti

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Mission Shakti, ASAT

Mains level: Strategic significance of the Mission Shakti and it impacts on

domestic politics and neighbourhood

CONTEXT

India has entered an elite space club with the Defence Research and Development
Organisation blowing up a satellite in a Low Earth Orbit into smithereens.

Background

Such Indian capability to take out moving objects has never really been in doubt.
the DRDO announced it as early as in 2011.
Indeed, India has been in the business of testing long-range missiles for years,
although public attention on the space programme has been mostly on its civilian
and scientific aspects.
The military dimension, though always latent, had not seen a verifiable
demonstration as in the case of Mission Shakti, the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile
test.
The relevance of the test

Ministry of External Affairs describes it as a ‘credible deterrence’ against

attacks on India’s growing number of space assets.
Although only three other countries, the U.S., Russia, and China, have previously
demonstrated this capability, it is possible to surmise that countries with long-
range missiles could do the same with equal effectiveness.
But India, surely, is staking a forward claim as a space weapons power.
It might propel Arms Race in the neighbourhood

This might lead to its none-too-friendly neighbour Pakistan into a competitive

frenzy.
Also, in the absence of a credible threat to India’s space assets from China or any
other country with Anti-Satellite missile capabilities, whether the ‘deterrence’
sought to be achieved by this test would lead to a more stable strategic security
environment is not certain.
Intentions of India with regards to ASAT

While announcing the success of the test, was clear that India wanted to maintain
peace rather than indulge in warmongering.
And, by targeting a low-orbit satellite, the missile test did the utmost possible
to minimise space debris, which is an issue of international concern.
Concerns with the timing of test and elections

But, within India, the timing of the test, when the country is already in election
mode, does raise concerns whether this was aimed at the domestic constituency.
The Election Commission is now seized of the question whether the Prime Minister
might have violated the Model Code of Conduct.
If it does find the timing amiss, the government could be in for some serious
embarrassment.
Conclusion

Ideally, the test should not have been a matter for a partisan political debate,
but given the hypernationalist political plank of the ruling Party, Mission Shakti
might have more reverberations on the ground than it has had in space.
Mission Shakti (Anti-Satellite Missile Test)

Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Mission Shakti, ASAT

Mains level: Strategic significance of the Mission Shakti

News

In an incremental advance, India has successfully conducted an Anti-Satellite

(ASAT) missile test, named Mission Shakti.
India becomes the fourth country in the world to demonstrate the capability to
shoot down satellites in orbit.
So far, only the United States, Russia and China have this prowess.
Mission Shakti

While Mission Shakti may have targeted an object in outer space, India has long
developed the ability to intercept incoming missiles.
In 2011, a modified Prithvi missile mimicked the trajectory of a ballistic missile
with a 600-km range.
The DRDO-developed Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile successfully
engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a ‘Hit to
Kill’ mode.
The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters.
What are low earth orbit satellites?

The Indian satellite that was shot down was a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite.
These are satellites roughly at an altitude of 2,000 kilometres from the earth and
that’s the region where the majority of satellites are concentrated.
ASAT through history

ASAT is the technological capability to hit and destroy satellites in space through
missiles launched from the ground.
ASAT weapon systems have a long history and were a product of the Cold War
hostilities between the United States and the Soviet Union.
They came back into popular currency after China conducted an anti-satellite
missile test on Jan 2007.
The target was a Chinese weather satellite — the FY-1C – that sailed at an altitude
of 865 km. (537 mi).
A year later, the US launched ‘Operation Burnt Frost,’ the code name to intercept
and destroy a non-functioning satellite named USA-193.
Why target satellites?

Satellites are extremely critical infrastructure of any country these days. A large
number of crucial applications are now satellite-based.
These include navigation systems, communication networks, broadcasting, banking
systems, stock markets, weather forecasting, disaster management, and military
applications etc.
Destroying a satellite would render these applications useless.
It can cripple enemy infrastructure, and bring it down on knees, without causing
any threat to human lives.
Problem of space debris

Anything launched into the space remains in space, almost forever, unless it is
specifically brought down or slowly disintegrates over decades or centuries.
Satellites that are past their life and are no longer required also remain in
space, orbiting aimlessly in some orbit.
According to the NASA, there were 19,137 man-made objects in space that were large
enough to be tracked.
These included active and inactive satellites, rockets and their parts, and other
small fragments.
A satellite that is destroyed by a missile disintegrates into small pieces, and
adds to the space debris.
The threat from the space debris is that it could collide with the operational
satellites and render them dysfunctional.
India reassures global community after ASAT tests

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
March 28, 2019
Post date
The Hindu

Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Not Much

Mains level: India’s stance for peaceful use of space applications

News

India assured the world that it did not violate any international treaty or
understanding with the anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile testing.
A message to the world

While the government has conceded that India has long had ASAT capabilities, this
is the country’s first demonstration to the world.
It has shown that it is capable of bringing down a satellite, and disrupting
communication.
Because the test was carried out on a satellite placed in the low-earth orbit, one
might question whether India can hit any satellite.
Targeting satellites in the higher orbits, however, is only a matter of scale of
powering the rockets enough to go deeper in the space.
Defying the taboo
Destroying space infrastructure like satellites is also taboo in the international
community just like the use of a nuclear weapon.
Almost every country agrees that space must not be used for wars and has spoken
against weaponisation of space.
There are international treaties governing the use of space that mandate that outer
space and celestial bodies like the Moon, must only be exploited for peaceful
purposes.
Outer Space Treaty of 1967

The Outer Space Treaty, to which India is a signatory, prohibits countries from
placing into orbit around the Earth “any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any
other kinds of weapons of mass destruction”.
Among its principles, it bars states party to the treaty from placing weapons of
mass destruction in Earth orbit, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial
body, or otherwise stationing them in outer space.
The moon and other celestial bodies shall be used by all state parties to the
treaty exclusively for peaceful purposes, says the treaty.
Indian stance

There are at least four more multilateral treaties that deal with specific concepts
agreed to in the Outer Space Treaty. None of these, however, prohibits the kind of
test that India carried.
India believes in peaceful use of the common outer space that belongs to humanity.
India is not in violation of any international law or treaty to which it is a party
or any national obligation.
The MEA said the A-SAT test was not directed against any country and that India
plans to play a role in future in drafting global laws on prevention of arms race
in outer space.
As is mandatory for any missile test, India did issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to
airline authorities across the world informing them about an impending missile
test.
MEA reiterated India’s support of Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS)
in the Conference on Disarmament “where it has been on the agenda since 1982.
[pib] Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA)

Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

Post date
March 26, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Young Scientists Programme

Mains level: Read the attached story

News

Young Scientist Programme

ISRO has launched a special programme for School Children called “Young Scientist
Programme” “YUva VIgyani KAryakram from this year.
The Program is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology,
Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones with the intent of
arousing their interest in the emerging areas of Space activities.
The residential training programme will be of around two weeks duration during
summer holidays and it is proposed to select 3 students each from each State/ UTs
to participate in this programme covering state, CBSE, and ICSE syllabus.
Those who have just finished 9th standard (in the academic year 2018-19) and
waiting to join 10th standard (or those who have started 10th Std just now) will be
eligible for the programme.
The selection will be based on the 8th Std marks.
Students belonging to the rural area have been given special weightage in the
selection criteria.
PSLV-C45/ Emisat Mission

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Particulars of the payload

Mains level: Unique features of the launch

News

For the sheer number of ‘firsts’ to its credit, the scheduled PSLV-C45/Emisat
mission scheduled will be a memorable one for the ISRO.
PSLV-C45/Emisat

C-45, which is set for lift-off from the second launchpad at Sriharikota, will mark
the 47th flight of the PSLV.
It is meant for electromagnetic spectrum measurements, according to the ISRO.
It will be released into an orbit at 749 km.
EMISAT is primarily based on on the famous Israeli spy satellite called SARAL or
(Satellite with ARgos and ALtika), and inherits its SSB-2 bus protocol for
conducting sharp electronic surveillance across the length and breadth of India.
The satellite would serve as the country’s roving device for detecting and
gathering electronic intelligence from enemy radars across the borders as it
circles the globe roughly pole to pole every 90 minutes or so.
For the third successive PSLV mission, the ISRO plans to reuse the rocket’s spent
fourth stage or PS4 to host short experiments.
Unique Features of PSLV-C45/Emisat

For one, it will be ISRO’s first attempt at placing payloads in three different
orbits.
The chief payload the 436 kg Emisat will be injected into a 749 km orbit.
After that, the fourth stage of the rocket will be maneuvered to a 504 km orbit for
releasing 28 international satellites.
Once that job is over, the fourth stage will be restarted and guided to an altitude
of 485 km.
For the next six months, this stage will serve as an orbital platform for space-
based experiments. This is another first for the ISRO. Normally, the spent stage
simply becomes space junk.
The orbital platform will also sport solar panels, which too is a first.
The launch vehicle itself is a new variant, designated PSLV-QL. For the first time,
ISRO will be employing four XL strap-on motors on the first stage.
The other two experimental payloads aboard the orbital platform are the Automatic
Identification System (AIS), an ISRO payload for maritime satellite applications,
and the Automatic Packet Repeating System (APRS), meant to assist amateur radio
operators.
Foreign satellites on-board

As many as 28 small foreign co-passenger satellites will also travel to space with
it, but to a lower orbit at 504 km.
They include 24 small satellites from the U.S., among them 20 which are part of
previous customer Planet Labs’ earth observation constellation.
The other four customers are from Lithuania, Spain and Switzerland.
ISRO, French agency to set up maritime surveillance system

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Oceansat-3-Argos mission

Mains level: All missions of the ISRO are important from examination point of view

News

ISRO and its French counterpart CNES has sealed an agreement to set up a joint
maritime surveillance system in the country.
The two nations will explore putting up a constellation of low-Earth orbiting
satellites.
Oceansat-3-Argos Mission

The system will be augmented with the launch of Oceansat-3-Argos mission in 2020
along with a joint infrared Earth-observation satellite.
These will identify and track movement of ships globally – and in particular those
moving in the Indian Ocean region where France has its Reunion Islands.
Before that, they will initially share data from their present space systems and
develop new algorithms to analyse them, according to the Paris based National
Centre for Space Studies.
They work together for the design and development of joint products and techniques,
including those involving Automatic Identification System (AIS), to monitor and
protect the assets in land and sea.
Other collaborations

The two agencies have put up two climate and ocean weather monitoring satellites
Megha-Tropiques (of 2011) and SARAL-AltiKa (2013) that is considered a model.
[pib] Use of Space Technology in Agriculture Sector

Economics | Mains Paper 3: E-Technology In The Aid Of Farmers

Post date
February 13, 2019
Post date
PIB
Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Agriculture | E-technology in the aid of farmers

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Various initiatives mentioned in the newscard

Mains level: Various technological measures for enhancing farm productivity

News

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has been pro-active in using the
space technology in agricultural sector. Take a look of various initiative in the
aid of farmers:
Various institutional measures

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare established a

Centre, called Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre, in 2012.
It works for operationalization of the space technology developed in the Indian
Space Research Organization, for crop production forecasting.
The Soil and Land Use Survey of India uses satellite data for soil resources
mapping.
Use of Space Technology

The Department is using space technology for its various programmes/ areas, such
as:

Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space, Agro-meteorology and Land-based

Observations (FASAL) project
Coordinated programme on Horticulture Assessment and Management using
geoiNformatics (CHAMAN) project
National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS),
Rice-Fallow Area Mapping and intensification, geo tagging of infrastructure and
assets created under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana,
Crop Insurance

The space technology helps getting fast and unbiased information about the crop
situation in the country.
It provides digital data, which is amenable to various analysis. Because of its
synoptic view, it provides images of the whole country in a very short duration.
Hence, this data can be used for various programmes, which need information on crop
type, crop area estimates, crop condition, crop damages, crop growth etc.
KISAN Project

The Department has launched KISAN [C(K)rop Insurance using Space technology And
geoiNformatcs] project during October 2015.
The project envisaged use of high-resolution remote sensing data for optimum crop
cutting experiment planning and improving yield estimation.
Under this project, pilot studies were conducted in 4 districts of 4 States viz.
Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
The study provided many useful inputs [for smart sampling, yield estimation,
optimum number of Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) etc.
These were used to define Standard Operating Procedures for use of satellite data
in the revised guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY).
[pib] India’s communication satellite GSAT-31 launched successfully

Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Particulars of the GSAT-31

Mains level: Importance of the mission

News

India’s latest communication satellite, GSAT-31 was successfully launched from the
Spaceport in French Guiana.
The launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-247 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base, French
Guiana carrying India’s GSAT-31 and Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1/Hellas Sat 4
satellites.
GSAT-31

It was launched in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee

(nearest point to Earth) of 250 km and an apogee (farthest point to Earth) of
35,850 km, inclined at an angle of 3.0 degree to the equator.
With a lift-off mass of 2536 kg, GSAT-31 will augment the Ku-band transponder
capacity in Geostationary Orbit.
The satellite will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-
orbit satellites.
GSAT-31 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM, Stock-
exchange, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications.
The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging
telecommunication applications.
It is the India’s 40th communication satellite which is configured on ISRO’s
enhanced ‘I-2K Bus’, utilising the maximum “bus capabilities” of this type.
ISRO launches Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
January 31, 2019
Post date
The Hindu

Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Gaganyaan Mission, HSFC

Mains level: India’s aspiration for a manned mission in Space.

News
Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC)

The HSFC, the hub of ISRO’s future manned missions, was inaugurated at ISRO
headquarters in Bengaluru.
Announced on August 15 2018, the country’s first crewed mission is set to happen by
2022, the 75th year of Independence.
HSFC shall be responsible for the implementation of Gaganyaan project — which
involves mission planning, development of engineering systems for crew survival in
space, crew selection and training and also pursue activities for sustained human
space flight missions.
HSFC will take the support of ISRO centres to implement the first developmental
[crewed] flight.
ISRO’s first mission of 2019 to put military satellite Microsat-R in space

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Post date
January 24, 2019
Post date
The Hindu

Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics etc.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Particulars of the payload

Mains level: Importance of the mission

News

ISRO’s first mission of 2019 will put into space a 130-kg military imaging
satellite, Microsat-R.
C-44 will be launched from the older First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre, Sriharikota.
Details of Launch

The satellite would be placed within 15 minutes after take-off in a polar orbit 274
km away from Earth.
This is much lower than any of its civil Earth observation spacecraft, which fly
pole to pole over the globe at between 400 km and 700 km.
Payload Details

Microsat-R

Microsat-R and its payload come assembled from a handful of laboratories of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It is meant for military use.
The satellite was assembled outside and ISRO only interfaced it” with its own
systems and the launch vehicle, just as it treats any customer satellite.
Other details are yet to be released by ISRO.
Kalamsat

Kalamsat is a communication satellite with a life span of two months.

The nanosatellite is a 10cm cube weighing 1.2 kg.
The satellite cost was about Rs 12 lakh Kalamsat will be the first to use the
rocket’s fourth stage as an orbital platform.
The fourth stage will be moved to higher circular orbit so as to establish an
orbital platform for carrying out experiments.
It is named after former Indian president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and was built by an
Indian high school student team, led by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old from the
Tamil Nadu town of Pallapatti.
It is the world’s lightest and first ever 3D-printed satellite.
ISRO to launch satellite to help MHA in securing borders

Polity | Mains Paper 3: Social Media Networks & Internal Security

Post date
January 21, 2019
Post date
The Indian Express
Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Internal Security | Role of external state & non-state actors in
creating challenges to internal security
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Not Much

Mains level: Satellite technology and its prospects in securing Borders

News

A satellite will be launched by the ISRO exclusively for the Home Ministry to help
it strengthen its frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh among others.
Securing Borders

The move is part of recommendations made by a task force on the use of space
technology in improving border management which have been accepted by Home
Minister.
To execute the project in a time bound manner, a short, medium and long-term plan
has been proposed for implementation in five years in close coordination with the
ISRO and the Defence Ministry.
Major recommendations of the report are to build capacity in border guarding forces
to use space resources for security, operational planning and border infrastructure
development.
In short term, immediate needs of border guarding forces will be met by procurement
of high resolution imagery and the hiring of bandwidth for communications.
In mid-term, one satellite is being launched by the ISRO for exclusive use of the
MHA.
Ground Network using space technology

The MHA will develop ground segment and network infrastructure to share satellite
resources by user agencies, develop a central archival facility for storing various
imagery resources and dissemination of the same to user agencies.
Deployment of the CAPF in remote areas will be also coordinated by satellite
communications.
IRNSS-based GPS will provide navigation facilities for operational parties in high
altitude, remote and difficult borders and LWE areas.
The Border Security Force has been designated as lead agency for implementation of
ground segment and network infrastructure, including the establishment of the
archival facility.
Island development, border security, communication and navigation, Geographic
Information System (GIS) and operations planning system, and border infrastructure
development are the areas identified for use of space technology.
A Special Task Force
The MHA has created a task force to identify areas for use of space technology in
improving border management.
The task force headed by Joint Secretary (Border Management), having members from
the BSF, the Department of Space and BM division of the Home Ministry.
Way Forward

India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and
Myanmar.
This project will strengthen island and border security and facilitate development
of infrastructure in border/island areas.
[pib] UNNATI- Unispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training Programme of ISRO

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: UNNATI Programme

Mains level: All missions of the ISRO are important from examination point of view

News

UNNATI Programme

It is a capacity building programme on Nanosatellite development.

It is an initiative by ISRO to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United
Nations conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE-
50).
The programme provides opportunities to the participating developing countries to
strengthen in assembling, integrating and testing of Nanosatellite.
UNNATI programme is planned to be conducted for 3 years by U.R. Rao Satellite
Centre of ISRO in 3 batches and will target to benefit officials of 45 countries.
About UNISPACE+50

It is an event marking the 50th year of the first UN Conference on the Exploration
and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
It is an initiative of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
Three such conferences held earlier recognized the potential of space and laid the
guidelines for human activities and international cooperation related to outer
space. They were:
UNISPACE I, Vienna, 1968
UNISPACE II, Vienna, 1982 and
UNISPACE III, Vienna, 1999
[pib] ISRO launches Samwad with Students initiative

Mains Paper 3: Science & Technology | Awareness in the fields of IT, Space,
Computers, robotics.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: SwS Initiative

Mains level: Outreach of various ISRO’s initiatives

News

As part of the enhanced outreach programme of ISRO, a new platform named “Samwad
with Students” (SwS) was launched in Bengaluru.
Samwad with Students (SwS) Initiative

Through the initiative, ISRO aims to constantly engage youngsters across India to
capture their scientific temperament.
The new conversation mission will inspire students cutting across schools and
colleges.
During the Samwad, the students are briefed about Indian space programme and their
benefits to the common man.
The Q&A session was followed on a series of topics ranging from rockets,
satellites, Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan and various space applications.
Centre to introduce Commercial Space Activities Bill

Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

Post date
January 2, 2019
Post date
Business Stan
Note4students

Mains Paper 3: Governance| Government policies and interventions for development in

various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Space Activities Bill 2017

Mains level: Regulating private space activities in India

News

The Centre is likely to introduce a Bill to commercialise space activities in the

budget session this year.
Space Activities Bill 2017

It is a proposed Bill to promote and regulate the space activities of India.

The Bill aims to facilitate the overall growth of space activities in India with
higher order participation of public, non-governmental and private sector
stakeholders.
The Bill encourages the participation of non-governmental/private sector agencies
in space activities in India under the guidance and authorisation of the government
through the Department of Space.
As few start-ups in India have shown interest in space activities there is an
urgent need for a legal environment for orderly performance and growth of space
sector.
It will help the Centre establish a regulatory mechanism through an appropriate
body to authorize and license space activities.
Key Propositions of the Bill

The provisions of this Act shall apply to every citizen of India and to all sectors
engaged in any space activity in India or outside India
A non-transferable licence shall be provided by the Central Government to any
person carrying out commercial space activity
The Central Government will formulate the appropriate mechanism for licencing,
eligibility criteria, and fees for licence.
The government will maintain a register of all space objects (any object launched
or intended to be launched around the earth) and develop more space activity plans
for the country
It will provide professional and technical support for commercial space activity
and regulate the procedures for conduct and operation of space activity
It will ensure safety requirements and supervise the conduct of every space
activity of India and investigate any incident or accident in connection with the
operation of a space activity.
It will share details about the pricing of products created by space activity and
technology with any person or any agency in a prescribed manner.
If any person undertakes any commercial space activity without authorisation they
shall be punished with imprisonment up to 3 years or fined more than ₹1 crore or
both.
Issues with the Bill

The Bill does not address space-based activities separately.

Instead, it tries to cover large swaths of the space value chain in one go.
In fact, the very definition of “space activity” could throw up complications.
The definition puts every space object under its ambit, meaning even hardware that
carries GPS receivers could require a license.
The Bill could also affect navigation services provided by companies such as Google
Maps, Ola and Uber.

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ISRO Missions and Discoveries

Prelims level : Earth Observation Satellites (EOS)

Mains level : Not Much

What are EOS?

India currently has 53 operational satellites, of which 21 are earth observation

Prelims level : Chandrayaan-3

Mains level : Not Much

ISRO plans to execute the Chandrayaan-3 mission in August this year.

What is Chandrayaan-3 Mission?

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up of Chandrayaan-2 of July 2019, which aimed

Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : SSLV, PSLV, GSLV

Mains level : Commercial space activities in India

It will be a four stage launching vehicle.

SSLV is perfectly suited for launching multiple microsatellites at a time and

Gaganyaan and other new Missions in 2022

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : Gaganyaan Mission

Mains level : Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (IHSP)

Gaganyaan is crewed orbital spacecraft intended to be the formative spacecraft of

Earth Observation Satellites: EOS-4 and EOS-6

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : Dhawan-1

Mains level : Space startups in India

The indigenous engine was developed using 3D printing with a superalloy.

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : Katol L6, Interior of Earth

Mains level : Hypothesis of planetary system formation

The discovery of Bridgmanite in Katol L6 adds evidence to the Moon-forming giant

This finding could help investigations of high-pressure phase transformation

Prelims level : Indian Space Association (ISpA)

Mains level : Commercial space exploration in India

Indian Space Association (ISpA)

Million-dollar industry: Governments across the world have poured millions of

Supplementing space research: One of the main goals of the organisation is to

Prelims level : Olivine, Bridgmanite

Mains level : Formation of Earth

Significance of meteor study

Now, by studying the composition of these meteorite fragments, researchers have

The international team of scientists examined a section of this highly-shocked

Katol meteorite is a unique sample and it is a significant discovery.

IAO Hanle: A promising astronomical observatory

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : IAO Hanle

About IAO Hanle

Himalayan Chandra Telescope (An optical-infrared telescope named after India-born

Prelims level : Chandrayaan-3 Mission

Mains level : Accomplishments of India's Lunar Mission

Chandrayaan-2: A quick recap

Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander and Rover, all equipped with

Prelims level : Blue Stragglers

Mains level : Not Much

Carrying out the first-ever comprehensive analysis of blue stragglers, Indian

What are Blue Stragglers?

A blue straggler is a main-sequence star in an open or globular cluster that is

Prelims level : NASA-ISRO SAR

Mains level : Not Much

The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, aimed at making global

Prelims level : Stellar Middle Age

Mains level : Not Much

Stellar Middle Age

Prelims level : Near-Surface Shear Layer

What is a Near-Surface Shear Layer?

Prelims level : EOS-03, SSLV

Mains level : Not Much

Science Tech Art Culture | Mains Paper 3: Achievements Of Indians In S&T

Prelims level : GRB Explosions

Mains level : Various interstellar phenomena

What are GRB Explosions?

Q.Which of the following is/are cited by the scientists as evidence/evidences for

(a) 1 and 2 only

(d) None of the above can be cited as evidence.

Prelims level : Read the attached story

Mains level : Formation of stars